Category Archives: youth marijuana use

Maine’s new medical marijuana in schools law poses risks that must be addressed

As has been reported, the Auburn School Committee formally adopted a policy for implementing Maine’s new medical marijuana law for children in schools. The law that was passed in the 2015 sessions, allows for students who have medical marijuana certifications, to have the drug administered by a parent or primary caregiver on school property. It specifically does […]

It’s official (still), the marijuana experiment in Colorado has failed

If there has been any doubt that the legal marijuana policy in Colorado has been a failure, new numbers from US Health and Human Services seal the deal.  The new 2013-2014 report of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that Colorado is now 1st in the nation for past month use of marijuana […]

How marijuana legalization could sink new plan to tackle Maine’s drug abuse crisis

Republican and Democrat leaders today unveiled their $4.8 Million plan to address the substance abuse epidemic facing the state of Maine.  It is a comprehensive plan that provides additional resources and supports for law enforcement, treatment, prevention, and recovery services.  It includes funding for the 10 new Maine DEA Agents Governor LePage has been requesting […]

Marijuana legalization stalls in Ohio

On this election night, one of several issues Ohioans were voting on was an initiative to legalize marijuana.  The initiative was Issue 3, written and pushed by the legalization group, ResponsibleOhio.  Issue 3 asked Ohio voters if they wanted to legalize marijuana, and set up a 10-grower monopoly.  Issue 3, and more specifically ResponsibleOhio also gave […]

Why Sanders’ support for marijuana undermines his education policy

Democratic Presidential Candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders has made some waves on the topic of marijuana.  First, in the Democratic Presidential Debate, he said he would vote in favor of legalizing marijuana if it were on the ballot in Vermont.  More recently, he announced that as President, he would push removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances […]

Maine marijuana summit highlights the failures of marijuana legalization

In the face of a continued push to legalize marijuana in Maine, a full day, statewide summit on marijuana, “Marijuana in the New Millenium”, was held Wednesday.  This event was planned and coordinated through a collaboration between Bangor Public Health, Healthy Acadia, and their respective community-based substance abuse prevention task forces.  Smart Approaches to Marijuana, […]

What Maine can learn from Colorado’s legalization of marijuana

A newly released report in Colorado doesn’t give marijuana legalization many positive marks. In fact, it points to a troubling 32-percent increase in marijuana-related traffic deaths in just one year from 2013, with a 92 percent increase from 2010 to 2014. What’s more, drug-related suspensions and expulsions increased 40 percent between school years 2008-2009 and […]

HHS finds marijuana use up 12%, perception of harm down

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services found that marijuana use among all Americans 12 and over – especially those over 26 – significantly increased in 2014 compared to 2013. The number of 16 and 17 year-olds using marijuana in the past month also increased, (14.2% versus 15.0%). “We should not be surprised […]

The Marijuana Movement and the Normalizing of Self-Medicating

This statement may not be terribly shocking, but I have some issues with medical marijuana.  I could go on and on about the reports that come out on a regular basis proving that medical marijuana has been based on anything but reputable science.  (It’s interesting that when this is pointed out that the reaction of […]

Portland City Council Was Right to Nix the Marijuana Festival

Monday, the Portland City Council voted 5-4 to reject the permit for a marijuana festival that was slated to be held in Deering Oaks Park in August.  The Portland City Council had originally approved the permit but revisited the issue when it became readily apparent that what they had originally voted on, and what the […]