Assessing Risks. Preventing Harm. June 19, 2013

1. Assessing Risks. Preventing Harm. June 19, 2013

2. Tiverton’s $625,000 DFC Grant Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private non-profit agencies, and Federal, State, local, and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth.  Reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse. Tiverton's $180,000 Marijuana Block Grant Reduce marijuana and prescription drug abuse.

3. Present and discuss evidence-based risk assessment • Marijuana affects Tiverton youth now. • Current marijuana legislation creates new health and safety risks for neighborhoods. • Form 3 Action Committees • Youth-Serving Organizations • Fire, Health, Safety • Zoning and Ordinances

4. Our kids are getting the wrong message about marijuana Here’s what they’re saying . . . If it’s medicine, it must be okay. If it’s legal, it must be safe. I read online that it cures cancer. The last four presidents used to smoke! It’s safer than beer. I drive better when I’m high. It helps me focus when I’m studying.

5. Should marijuana be legalized? Gallup Polls 1968 - 2012 Changing social norms reinforce the wrong message Percentage Legalization and Decriminalization 1973 2012 legal medical cannabis decriminalized cannabis possession laws medical and decriminalization laws legalized cannabis

6. Blue Dream as medical Cannabis helps patients free from stress, anxiety, pain, insomnia, and lack of appetite. Also makes the patients feel euphoric, creative, uplifted, happy and energetic.  Effects: Immediate head high. Followed by a relaxing body high. Still able to do day to day tasks, but be high as a kite. Potency: 8.5/10 Good Strain For: Migraines, Body pains/aches, Insomnia, Anorexia. Marijuana advertising reinforces the wrong message

7. Marijuana edibles reinforce the wrong message

8. Marijuana Policy Project* Initiative 3 – 2013 “Build support for legalization in the RI legislature. We successfully legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized marijuana possession in Rhode Island in 2009 and 2012, respectively. There is now considerable momentum to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol, so we need to ensure that RI’s state legislature becomes the first to do so.” National lobbyists reinforce the wrong message * 32,000 members. 21 staffers.Annual budget: $2.85MM

9. Here’s the problem: When kids perceivepot as less risky they are more likelyto smoke it

10. THS Student MJ use in last 30 days Nearly 44% of THS students reported smoking marijuana in the last 30 days * Tiverton Annual Health and Wellness Survey, 2012

11. 56% of THS students do NOT think thatregular marijuana useis risky or harmful

12. MRI’s show visible damage to areas of the brain involved in memory, attention, decision-making and language. (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) • Smokers who began using marijuana before age 17 had cognitive defects in verbal IQ and memory of lists, not detected in those who began smoking later in life. (Harvard Medical School) • Heavy marijuana smoking reduced learning abilities and social skills, causing very real problems in their daily lives.(National Institute for Drug Abuse) • Use of drugs by teens leads to a greater risk of depression, suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts. (Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation) • Brain circuitry that encourages risk-taking and novel experiences develops early in adolescence but “impulse control” develops much later, a combination that can lead to problematic experimentation with addictive drugs. (Yale University School of Medicine) THE RIGHT (science-based) MESSAGES (for Tiverton youth)

13. Current MMA regulations for growing marijuana expose RI communitiesto new healthand safety risks

14. Supply Side 8,264 “licensed” growers X 12 plants (+ 12 seedlings) ea. X 3 grow cycles annually 255 tons MMA growers can produce morethan patients need,which leads tomorestreet sales,more illegal useand more crime Demand Side 255 tons 4,849 patients 94 lbs./year * 4 oz. or about 250 “joints” per day

15. 1 ounce of pot about 50 joints =

16. Grow houses under MMA regulationsare“RI’s #1 healthand safety risk” • Cannabis must be grown indoors, but: • No proof of security. • No inspections for compliance with state or municipal safety, housing and zoning codes. • No information sent to local police about location of grow houses. • “Collective cultivation” is allowed. • Property owners cannot refuse to lease or evict growers. • Criminal background checks are not required for “patient caregivers.”

17. Fire, mold, mildeware major risksfor grow houses A “grow house”can be a warehouse ora bedroom in a houseor multi-family home.. • Equipment needed • HID lamps (+ ignitor, capacitor, transformer, special ballast) • Air conditioning and ventilation • Reflective insulation • Pots and soil • Fertilizer and nutrients • Water • CO2cylinders • 50-gal pump for hydroponics

18. “The environment favorable for growing marijuana indoors can be a very dangerous environment for firefighters when a fire occurs in a ‘grow house.’ There is a significant civilian life hazard at many grow houses because a portion of the residence is used for growing while the remainder is occupied by families with children.” – Bill Gustin, Captain, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue June 10, 2010

19. From Recent Headlines • Pot grow operation causes Elk Grove house fire. May 11, 2013 • Fire in North Texas Leads Authorities to Marijuana Grow House. May 20, 2013 • Marijuana grow house discovered at site of San Francisco fire. March 6, 2013 • Garage being used as marijuana grow house catches fire in Glacier View subdivision of Larimer County. April 9, 2013 • Houston marijuana ‘grow house’ goes up in flames. May 15, 2013 • Firefighters discover pot grow at Novato house fire. March 12, 2013 Health, fire andsafety risks are real

20. The tools we have to protect our youthand neighborhoodsfrom harm

21. We need to figure outthe best way to getthe right message about marijuana to our kids • Tiverton Youth Action Committee • Parents, coaches, substance abuse counselors, youth-related organizations and businesses. • Develop community-wide strategies and programs to counter false perceptions about marijuana. • Time commitment: 90 minute meeting, once a month for 5 months.

22. We have an opportunity to prevent and reduce health and safety hazards related to cannabis grow operations • Tiverton Marijuana Health and Safety Action Committee • Health and safety officials, realtors, property owners, Town government, neighborhood associations, businesses. • Assess health and safety risks and recommend protective actions. • Time commitment: 90 minute meeting, once a month for 4 months.

23. We have an opportunity to develop ordinances and regulations around marijuanathat can help protect the community • Tiverton Marijuana Ordinance Action Committee • Health and safety officials, zoning board, neighborhood associations, businesses, Town government. • Develop a marijuana ordinance similar to Section 7 on tobacco in the Town’s Code of Ordinances. • Time commitment: 90 minute meeting, once a month for 4 months.

24. Thank You Q & A