News & Views
GA, N.Y. seek real medical marijuana
The states of Georgia and New York have moved boldly to become national leaders in the responsible development of pharmacy-grade medication made from components of the cannabis plant. Last week, the State of Georgia, working in collaboration with the U.S. Food and...
Jacob Lavoro and pot brownies
Judging from today's news reporting, the story is fairly simple and goes like this: A Texas teenager with no criminal record faces from five years to life in prison for allegedly making and selling pot brownies. Possession of up to 2 oz. of marijuana in its...
Marijuana use involved in more fatal accidents in CO
This statement, issued today by the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where I serve as an associate professor, speaks for me well. AURORA, Colo. (May 15, 2014) – The proportion of marijuana-positive drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes in Colorado...
Marijuana use and pregnancy
Of the 2.4 million Americans who try marijuana for the first time each year, 58 percent are under the age of 18. That's why when we're debating drug policy and the impact of marijuana on society, we cannot ignore kids. Because the brain isn't fully formed until about...
Colorado’s highs burn Lowe’s
Yesterday, the checkout line at my favorite Lowe's Home Improvement store was so long that I watched an obviously frustrated man walk away from a shopping cart that easily contained what would have been a $250 purchase. The people in front of me and behind me were...
Prospective longitudinal study of Conduct Disorder and initiation of Substance Use
These research outcomes were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in May 2014. Title: Conduct Disorder and Initiation of Substance Use: A Prospective Longitudinal Study Authors: Dr. Christian Hopfer, M.D., Dr. Stacy...
Another marijuana study and day of spin
Another study, another day -- OK, make that months -- of misleading news reports about what it means. This time, the study is published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. While many news organizations are beginning to pick it up, I'll focus on coverage by reporter...
Casual pot use linked to big brain changes
A groundbreaking, new study, published April 16 in the Journal of Neuroscience, is consistent with research showing that the more marijuana people use, and the earlier they start using the drug, the more likely they are to harm what one researcher said is "part of the...
The better high is the natural one
For every natural high, like running, there’s a drug out there being abused to achieve the same feelings. Join the movement showing young people how and why to choose natural highs over chemical ones.
‘Your country has an impact on mine’
George Ochieng Odalo directs the Slum Child Foundation, a Kenyan nonprofit organization working with children and youth in the slums and streets of Nairobi. Within hours of news stories first reporting President Obama's remarks about marijuana to The New Yorker, Mr....
Read the book
Clearing the Haze is a guide designed to help parents determine whether their child may have a substance problem and, if so, how to begin to address it. This book includes the voices and insight of experts in substance abuse counseling, young people in recovery, and parents who have lived the nightmare of adolescent addiction.