Florida: Learning from Colorado’s Marijuana Experiences

This C-SPAN video is an interview with Gina Carbone, founder of the Smart Colorado watchdog group. Carbone speaks about Colorado’s growing and profitable marijuana retail industry.

On November 4th, 2014 Floridians will be voting on constitutional Amendment 2, which will legalize the smoking of marijuana for “medical reasons.” Carbone provides the experience of Coloradans with marijuana. Colorado began the process of full legalization of marijuana with the legalization of marijuana for medical use only. As with all marijuana legalization initiatives to date the “devil is in the details” and the outcomes of its legalization become known only after the fact. There is huge money to be made and therefore huge money invested to pass “pot friendly” legislation and ballot initiatives nationwide.

The proponents mantra is an inherant individual freedom to use pot and that it does no harm to the individual or community. But is that true?

According the the Florida Attorney General’s website:

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) refers to a group of medical complications associated with the withdrawal process newborns typically experience after birth if their mothers have used addictive illicit or prescription drugs during pregnancy. Florida is seeing a growing number NAS cases and these babies are born suffering from withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, seizures, abdominal pain, incessant crying, and rapid breathing. In 2011, there were 1,563 instances of newborns diagnosed with drug exposure in Florida, a three-fold increase since 2007.

While the numbers of women in Florida giving birth to drug exposed newborns is still thankfully few as a total percentage of pregnancies, NAS afflicted newborns impose disproportionately higher costs on our health care and social service systems compared to healthy deliveries. A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in April 2012 shows that, nationally, the number of babies born exposed to prescription drugs has nearly tripled in the past decade. The study indicates that 3.4 of every 1,000 infants born in a hospital in 2009 suffered from NAS. The study concludes that newborns with NAS require longer and more costly hospitalization. The cost of caring for a newborn with NAS was estimated to exceed $53,000 per infant in 2009.

With the rampant abuse of prescription drugs in the Sunshine state does any Floridian believe that medical marijuana will not also contribute to NAS once legalized?

Floridians can learn from the experiences of others.

ABOUT SMART COLORADO

Smart Colorado was formed in March of 2013 after the passage of Amendment 64. Smart Colorado is a growing group of concerned citizens from all walks of life who have come together to advocate for thoughtful and responsible marijuana policies that limit the unintended consequences for Colorado youth.

When it comes to marijuana regulation, we believe Colorado’s standards shouldn’t be the medical marijuana industry, which is widely known to be inadequately regulated. Nor should Colorado’s standards be the regulation of tobacco and alcohol, which are consumed by children at high rates despite laws prohibiting that. We should aim higher to protect Colorado kids from marijuana.

Smart Colorado believes it is critical for the public and Colorado youth to be informed on the latest facts and evidence based research on the health and safety impacts of early marijuana use.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Amendment is not needed for medical marijuana
Effects of Legalized Pot in Colorado: Deaths, Infused Student Snacks and Out-of-State Customers
Marijuana food truck set to roll into Washington state this weekend – Los Angeles Times
In bag of fast food, a surprise: Marijuana – Crime – Frederick News-Post