MPI NEWS
News
One of the goals of legalizing cannabis was to ensure that the pot Californians buy is relatively safe. No more random sandwich baggies filled with who-knows-what. Legal cannabis is tested to ensure it’s free of contaminants, and must be sold in “tamper-evident” containers that carry legally mandated warning labels.
But the warning that’s required is so tiny it’s almost impossible to read. And it doesn’t mention anything about the risk of mental health problems associated with heavy marijuana use, which has been documented in a growing body of scientific research.
MPI and San Diego County Office of Education will be hosting a session at this year Southern Region Student Wellness Conference. The session is tilted - Enhancing Community Collaborations to Support Substance Use Prevention.
The session will cover successful collaborations and creation of prevention campaigns that address the current climate of substance use. Fentanyl, vaping products and marijuana are increasingly available and school staff need the proper tools to handle this evolving issue. Attendees will identify new protocols, enhanced data collection tools and community interventions that meet the needs of todays students.
“The FBI is committed to keeping our communities safe from the vast array of violent crimes and criminal activity which accompanies these illegal establishments,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners at the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the San Diego Police Department, the Chula Vista Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for their commitment and collaboration on these cases. It’s these ongoing partnerships which enable law enforcement from around the county to be agile and able to handle these types of cases using a variety of investigative techniques with different prosecutive options.”
Indeed, many scientific studies have linked marijuana use to an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The risk is more than four times greater for people who use high-potency marijuana on a daily basis, compared with those who have never used, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2019. One study found eliminating marijuana use in adolescents would reduce global rates of schizophrenia by 10%.
Most users perceive marijuana as a healthy, natural plant. It's touted as a cure or treatment for pain, anxiety, seizures, and other various ailments. Yet, much of this is false. Dr. Roneet Lev, a board-certified emergency medicine physician and addiction specialist, tells us about what the pot industry prefers to keep to itself.