News & Views
Study: teen pot use predicts lower IQ
For more than a decade, scientists have been concerned about the potential impact of marijuana on the developing, adolescent brain. Research in this area is vitally important because, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 60 percent of all new...
Health hazards of indoor pot grows
Living with a greenhouse in your house is hazardous to your health -- so hazardous that adults who expose children to such an environment are guilty of child abuse, John Martyny of National Jewish Health and an associate professor for the University of Colorado Denver...
Blasting pot legalization on PBS
First, my thanks to Cynthia Hessin and the really nice team who produce "Colorado State of Mind" for Rocky Mountain PBS, where I appeared last week to debate the pros and cons of Amendment 64 with Betty Aldworth, a political consultant for the "Regulate Marijuana Like...
California isn’t buying it anymore
As the latest rounds of initiatives for marijuana legalization in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington demonstrate, so-called "medical marijuana" very quickly leads to pushes for expansion of access to the drug and to well-funded and highly organized campaigns...
Denver kids for AIDS care kits in Africa
The Kids 4 Kits One Mile Fun Run is a great way for kids of all ages to experience the joy of actively doing something that makes positive differences in the lives of others. Sponsored by Denver Presbyterian Church, the annual event raises money to build caregiver...
Dear Dr. T: ‘My family ignores me’
Dear Dr. T: My family seems to be better off without me. I try being involved, but it only seems to make them team up on me even more. I want to blame it on the fact that I'm the middle child. How can I get through to them without having an awkward, sit-down...
Authorities destroy $24M marijuana operation
Local, state and federal officials today destroyed more than 11,000 marijuana plants in a forest outside Pueblo, Colo. The grow operation, which authorities said was the work of a Mexican drug cartel, was valued in excess of $11 million. (Update, July 16: Authorities...
U.S. child psychiatrists issue warning
I am a member of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and I am pleased AACAP has issued this policy statement rejecting the use of medical marijuana for adolescents and sounding alarm bells for the world. As the society wrote, "The...
Marijuana Prevention Summit a smashing success
More than 100 people attended the Marijuana Prevention Summit, presented July 31 at The Denver Press Club by the Colorado Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Society. The event focused on the latest science on adolescent addiction and marijuana use, public drug...
Jumping to conclusions with CDC data
I have seen so much misinformation about the Center for Disease Control's latest Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) data that it's time for me to speak up. First, take a look at the numbers for yourself. Now for some quick background: Drug-legalization...