JANUARY 9, 2019 MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONCERNS AND ANSWERS: JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

Marijuana as
Medicine?

SCIENTIFIC ANSWERS FDA APPROVAL? YOUTH USE? INCREASED CRIME?

TO CONCERNS AND HAS IT HAPPENED & SHOULD WE BE ANALYSIS OF
OBJECTIONS DOES IT MATTER CONCERNED? CONCERNS VS. DATA

FACT CHECK

By Daniel R. Gaita, MA,

Medical Cannabis in South LMSW

Carolina? SC Licensed Social

As the 2019 legislative season kicks off in South Carolina, The question of Worker
a medical marijuana program is again on the table for consideration and
debate. Having missed its opportunity for a vote on the legislative floor in Combat Veterans'
Advocate
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JANUARY 9, 2019 MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONCERNS AND ANSWERS: JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

2018 due to continued concerns by the political, medical and law

enforcement communities, this year could provide those on the
fence with the answers they have been seeking in order to make an Just the facts,
educated decision on the question of a medical cannabis program
in South Carolina. This report seeks to provide specific answers to please
the questions, concerns and objections being raised by our trusted
law makers, medical professionals, and law enforcement
community.

Medical Marijuana and Crime

One of the greatest and most compelling arguments against the SC
medical cannabis legislation comes from our trusted law
enforcement leadership (SLED) with whom we all owe a debt of
gratitude for their service in the protection of the general public.
Rightfully so, they have concern for our public safety and are
tasked with taking positions on questions impacting our future
laws. Our legislators trust their insight and guidance, and our
communities rely on them for safety. We should not also burden
them with the type of research that is required to accurately
determine and articulate how the new laws, in other states, are
working out. That's our job.

Perhaps the greatest surprise for many in the law enforcement

community is the actual crime data which demonstrates a
reduction across nearly all crime measures in a majority of the
states with a medical marijuana program in place.

The Data: Has been collected from the Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Justice Information
Services Division and includes crime statistics published on each
of the sixteen states where a medical marijuana program has been
put into place. Here is what we've found.

Violent Crime, Murder, Manslaughter - Has been reduced Do states with medical
in 75% of the states cannabis laws have higher
rates of youth drug use,
Robbery - 81% of the states reported a reduction
higher crime rates, or
Rape - Reduced in 100% of states with reporting data increased motor vehicle
Motor Vehicle Theft - Reduced in 62% of the states related accidents as some
have suggested? FBI
Larceny - Reduced in 94% of the states Crimes Statistics and
Aggravated Assault - Lower in 25% of states scientific evidence
suggest not.
Burglary - 100% of the states have seen a reduction

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JANUARY 9, 2019 MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONCERNS AND ANSWERS: JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

Additional peer reviewed studies: Have determined that the arguments suggesting the
legalization of marijuana for medical purposes poses a danger to public health in terms of exposure
to violent crime and property crimes run counter to the actual data in those states (Morris, TenEyck,
Barnes & Kovandzic, 2014; Kepple & Freisther, 2012; Yu-Wei & Townsend, 2018) .

"There is no evidence of negative spillover effects from medical marijuana laws on violent or
property crime. Instead, we find significant drops in rates of violent crime associated with these
states" (Shepard & Blackley, 2016)

Marijuana, Crime and Other Drugs: Recent research has also provided insight on the concern
that marijuana leads to harder drug use, a common objection heard by both the medical and law
enforcement community. However, the research to date actually demonstrates no increase in cocaine
or heroin use. Furthermore, the data shows a 0–15 percent decrease in possession arrests for cocaine
and heroin combined.

From treatment data, we've seen a 20 percent decrease in admissions for heroin-related
treatment. These results suggest that marijuana may be a substitute for heroin, but it is not
strongly correlated with cocaine (Yu, W.L.C., 2015).

Marijuana & Workplace safety: Legalizing medical marijuana was associated with a 19.5%
reduction in the expected number of workplace fatalities. Five years after coming into effect, medical

marijuana laws were associated with a 33.7% reduction in the expected number of workplace
fatalities (Anderson & Tekin, 2018)

Recreational vs. Medicinal Law Concerns: Another concern posited by the law enforcement
community is of a "slippery slope" towards recreational legalization. Even though the SC Legislation
is for the purposes of medicinal use only, the recreational question still merits brief discussion. In
that, we have also found recent research conducted by the Journal of American Medical Association
which demonstrates reductions in opioid prescriptions (Hill & Saxon, 2018). In another recent study
evidence demonstrates that

the legalization of the cannabis market across US states is inducing a crime drop, significant
reduction in rapes, property crimes, consumption of other drugs including alcohol (Dragone,
Prarolo, Vanin & Zanella, 2018)

Marijuana Legalization and Drug Trafficking: Additional recent data also shows that the
introduction of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) leads to a decrease in violent crime in states that
border Mexico. The reduction in crime is strongest for counties close to the border (less than 350
kilometers) and for crimes that relate to drug trafficking (Garilova & Kamada, 2017).

In addition, the study found that medical marijuana laws in inland states lead to a reduction in
crime in the nearest border state (Garilova & Kamada, 2017)

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JANUARY 9, 2019 MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONCERNS AND ANSWERS: JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

Section References

Anderson, M., Rees, D.I., & Tekin, E. (2018) Medical marijuana laws and workplace fatalities in the United States.
International Journal of Drug Policy 60:33-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.07.008

Department of Justice (2019) Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Justice Information
Services Division

Dragone, D., Prarolo, G., Vanin, P., & Zanella, G. (2018) Crime and the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2018.02.005

Garilova, E. & Kamada, T. (2017) Is Legal Pot Crippling Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations? The Effect of
Medical Marijuana Laws on US Crime. The Economic Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12521.

Hill, K.P., Saxon, A.J. (2018) The Role of Cannabis Legalization in the Opioid Crisis. JAMA Intern Med. 178(5):679–
680. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.0254

Kepple, N.J., & Freisthler, B. (2012) Exploring the Ecological Association Between Crime and Medical Marijuana
Dispensaries. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 73:4, 523-530

Morris R.G., TenEyck M., Barnes J.C., Kovandzic T.V., (2014). The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Crime:
Evidence from State Panel Data, 1990-2006. PLOS ONE 9(3): e92816. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.
0092816

Shepard, E. M., & Blackley, P. R. (2016). Medical Marijuana and Crime: Further Evidence From the Western States.
Journal of Drug Issues, 46(2), 122–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042615623983

Yu-Wei Luke Chu, (2015) "Do Medical Marijuana Laws Increase Hard-Drug Use?," The Journal of Law and
Economics 58, no. 2 : 481-517.

Yu-Wei Luke Chu & Townsend, W. (2018). Joint culpability: The effects of medical marijuana laws on crime.
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2018.07.003

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JANUARY 9, 2019 MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONCERNS AND ANSWERS: JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

Medical Marijuana
and the FDA
Another objection to the medical cannabis
movement in South Carolina sits with the
medical community and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) argument. Specifically,
that marijuana is not "FDA Approved."

The fact is, the FDA has approved its first

drug comprised of an active ingredient
derived from marijuana to treat rare, severe
forms of epilepsy (FDA, 2018).

This first FDA approved medication should, by definition of the law, remove the marijuana plant
from classification as a Schedule 1 drug since it has now demonstrated medical efficacy under the
rigors of the FDA.

While the FDA has an important role to play in public safety specific to prescription drugs, it is also
vital to consider its shortcomings in this arena. For instance, the FDA's approval of opioids to treat
pain. FDA approved opioid medications have resulted in a national crisis that has been referred to as
an epidemic by the entire medical community and the President of the United States due to the
number of deaths attributed to FDA approved opioid medications.

Between 2001 and 2016, the number of FDA approved opioid-related deaths in the United States
increased by 345%, from 9,489 to 42, 245 deaths (Gomes, Tadrus, Mamdani, Peterson & Juurlink,
2018).

Section References

Gomes, T., Tadrous, M., Mamdani, M. M., Paterson, J. M., & Juurlink, D. N. (2018). The Burden of Opioid-Related
Mortality in the United States. JAMA Network Open, 1(2), e180217-e180217.

US Food and Drug Administration. (2018). FDA approves first drug comprised of an active ingredient derived from
marijuana to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy. Published June, 25.

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JANUARY 9, 2019 MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONCERNS AND ANSWERS: JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

Medical Marijuana and Motor Vehicle

Accidents
A major pubic concern which is
repeatedly brought up by our Law
Enforcement community centers
around the US roadways and
vehicular related accidents and
fatalities. Rightfully so, seeing that
harmful drugs like alcohol and
FDA approved prescription opioids
and anti-depressants currently
make up roughly one-third to one-
half of all motor vehicle related
accidents, nationally (USDOT,
2018)

According to the US Department of Transportation, National Center for Statistics and Analysis there
were 37,133 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes on U.S. roadways during 2017, a 1.8-percent
decrease from 37,806 people killed in 2016.

Exhaustive searches of medical databases have still not produced a single death related to
medical marijuana alone on the US roadways.

Research also continues to demonstrate that medical marijuana laws, in general, are not significantly
associated with marijuana-involved driving. Furthermore, in cases where marijuana was detected, so
too were prescription narcotics (Bunn, 2019).

Recent research conducted in states with medical marijuana legalization have demonstrated no
significant changes in the number of marijuana-related crashes alone (Lee, Abdel & Park, 2018)

Section References

Bunn, T., Singleton, M., & Chen, I. C. (2019). Use of multiple data sources to identify specific drugs and
other factors associated with drug and alcohol screening of fatally injured motor vehicle drivers.
Accident Analysis & Prevention, 122, 287-294.

Lee, J., Abdel-Aty, A., & Park, J. (2018). Investigation of associations between marijuana law changes
and marijuana-involved fatal traffic crashes: A state-level analysis. Journal of Transport & Health.

US Department of Transportation (2018) 2017 Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview. National Center
for Statistics and Analysis. Retrieved from https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/
ViewPublication/812603

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JANUARY 9, 2019 MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONCERNS AND ANSWERS: JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

Medical Marijuana and Youth

Another concern that has been voiced by law enforcement, legislators,
and the medical industry centers around the suspected risk medical
marijuana poses to our youth. More specifically, will medical
marijuana laws result in increased marijuana access and/or use by
youths. Further concerns that marijuana is a gateways drug to harder
drugs have also been posited.

The fact is, despite much research in this area, the impact of medical
marijuana laws (MML) on use of substances other than marijuana is
not well understood. Thankfully, recent studies have been examining
the relationship between state MML and use of marijuana, cigarettes,
illicit drugs, non-medical use of prescription opioids, amphetamines,
and tranquilizers, as well as binge drinking among adolescents. One key
observation of the data is that:

Medical Marijuana Law enactment is associated with decreases in marijuana and other drugs in
early adolescence in those states (Cerda, Wall, Feng, Keyes, Galea & Hasin, 2018)

Another study including 11, 703, 100 students across both years and states did not find increases in
adolescent marijuana use related to legalization of medical marijuana (Choo, Benz, Zaller, Warren, et
al, 2014).

A recent 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis of studies which included 30 years of data from
1,668 databases and 1,331 peer reviewed papers to estimate the effect of US medical marijuana laws
(MMLs) on marijuana use prevalence among adolescents has demonstrated:

The evidence does not support the hypothesis that US medical marijuana laws have led to
increases in adolescent marijuana use prevalence (Sarvet, Wall, Fink, Green, Le, Bousted &
Hasin, 2018)

It is of interest to note that while the perception that marijuana is not harmful has increased rapidly
among adolescents, the large shift in perception was not accompanied by increased
marijuana use. A signal that practices of predicting adolescent marijuana use trends should be
updated according to another 2018 study which included two repeated cross-sectional U.S.
nationally-representative surveys of over 1,200,000 8th, 10th, and 12th-graders (Sarvet, Wall, Kyes,
Cerda, Schulenberg, O'Malley & Hasin, 2018).

Overall, repeated studies continue to demonstrate that legalization of marijuana has not
increased marijuana use for youth (Rusby, Westling, Crowley & Light, 2018; Brooks, Levinson,
Kattari, Goodell & Johnson; Chu, 2018)

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Section References
Brooks-Russell, A., Ma, M., Levinson, A. H., Kattari, L., Kirchner, T., Goodell, E. M. A., & Johnson, R. M. (2018).
Adolescent Marijuana Use, Marijuana-Related Perceptions, and Use of Other Substances Before and After Initiation
of Retail Marijuana Sales in Colorado (2013–2015). Prevention science, 1-9.

Cerdá, M., Sarvet, A. L., Wall, M., Feng, T., Keyes, K. M., Galea, S., & Hasin, D. S. (2018). Medical marijuana laws
and adolescent use of marijuana and other substances: Alcohol, cigarettes, prescription drugs, and other illicit
drugs. Drug and alcohol dependence, 183, 62-68.

Choo, E.K., Benz, M., Zaller, N., Warren, O., Rising, K.L., & McConnell, J.K. (2014) The Impact of State Medical
Marijuana Legislation on Adolescent Marijuana Use. Journal of Adolescent Health. 55, 2:160-166

Chu, Y. W. L. (2018). Commentary on Sarvet et al.(2018): What do we still need to know about the impacts of
medical marijuana laws in the United States?. Addiction, 113(6), 1017-1018.

Rusby, J. C., Westling, E., Crowley, R., & Light, J. M. (2018). Legalization of recreational marijuana and community
sales policy in Oregon: Impact on adolescent willingness and intent to use, parent use, and adolescent use.
Psychology of addictive behaviors, 32(1), 84.

Sarvet, A. L., Wall, M. M., Fink, D. S., Greene, E., Le, A., Boustead, A. E., ... & Hasin, D. S. (2018). Medical marijuana
laws and adolescent marijuana use in the United States: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction, 113(6),
1003-1016.

Sarvet, A. L., Wall, M. M., Keyes, K. M., Cerdá, M., Schulenberg, J. E., O’Malley, P. M., ... & Hasin, D. S. (2018).
Recent rapid decrease in adolescents’ perception that marijuana is harmful, but no concurrent increase in use. Drug
and alcohol dependence, 186, 68-74.

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Author
Disclosure
Daniel R. Gaita, MA, LMSW, a
United States Marine turned
veterans' advocate. He is the
founder of Operation Vet Fit, a
501C(3), combat veteran
advocacy agency recognized by
the Department of Veterans
Affairs Mental Health Services for his ground breaking research on veteran suicide causes and
solutions.

He is a South Carolina Licensed Social Worker specializing in Mental Health and Military Families; a
volunteer research assistant at the Citadel, inducted into the Phi Alpha Honor Society while a
graduate student at the University of Southern California, also a Presidential Management
Fellowship Finalist; a participant in Military Clinical Skills Training and research conducted through
the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families. Dan earned his Bachelors
in Psychology from combined studies at the University of Connecticut and Western Connecticut State
University, His first Masters degree in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University with a
concentration in Servant Leadership. He later completed his second Masters degree in Social Work
from combined studies at Fordham University and the University of Souther California.

Contact: dan@operationvetfit.org

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