A doctors’ group is taking on cannabis education. On May 20, 2021, the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis (IASIC) officially launched with a press conference held in San Diego and live streamed across the country.
President of the newly-launched group IASIC, Dr. Eric Voth, is no stranger to addiction and drug policy work. In his forty years involved in the fields of Internal Medicine, Pain Medicine and Addiction Medicine, he confidently asserts, “…We’ve seen marijuana become a serious public health problem…Today, as a direct result of rigorous efforts to legalize and normalize marijauna, it is responsible for a host of medical problems.”
Colorado State Representative Judy Amabile of Boulder gave riveting personal testimony of her son on May 26. Along with many others, she spoke in favor House Bill 21-1317, “Regulating Marijuana Concentrates.”
She described how her son began using Colorado marijuana in 8th grade. He had his first psychotic break at 18. He now has schizoaffective disorder. “Let’s not talk about him today. It’s too late for him. Let’s talk instead about your children and thousands of other children who are negatively being impacted by the use of marijuana,” she said.
Speaking for all families affected by today’s high potency pot, she continued, “We are done being shamed and blamed into silence.”
Finally, a parent in a position to make a difference gave a story comparable to those told on Parents Opposed to Pot, Moms Strong and Johnny’s Ambassadors. Many parents testified in favor of the House bill. Some of their children survived marijuana, but others, such as Johnny Stack, did not.
The bill passed in the committee and then the Colorado House last week. Rep. Yadera Caraveo of Thornton, Rep. Tim Geitner of Falcon and House Speaker Alec Garnett of Denver co-sponsored the legislation.
The Denver Gazette wrote an article about the bill’s content and Rep. Judy Amabile’s remarkable speech. The bill passed the entire Colorado House of Representatives and a version is currently being debated in the Senate.
In the Senate testimony, Kirk Quitter, principal of a Boulder Valley High Schoo, said that he’s witnessed several psychotic breaks in school. “We’re gambling away our kids for money,” he exclaimed. Let’s hope the Senate uses its conscience and rubberstamps this bill.
A summary of the bill.
“The bill requires the Colorado School of Public Health to do a systematic review of the scientific research related to the physical and mental health effects of high-potency THC marijuana and concentrates. The bill creates a scientific review council to review the report and make recommendations to the general assembly. Based on the research and findings, the Colorado School of Public Health shall produce a public education campaign for the general public, to be approved by the council, regarding the effect of high-potency THC marijuana on the developing brain and mental health.”
The Koch Brothers’ group, Americans for Prosperity, recently joined efforts with other cannabis activist groups. This new coalition includes the libertarian Reason Foundation and the Weldon Project, named for a drug dealer pardoned by President Trump.
Editor’s note: Robert Corry played a prominent and pivotal role in the movement to legalize marijuana in Colorado. The University of Colorado graduate and Stanford-trained lawyer helped draft groundbreaking Amendment 64 on Colorado’s 2012 statewide ballot — permitting production and retail sales of recreational pot. Corry also designed and implemented the dispensary framework for patients and caregivers under Amendment 20, enacted by the state’s voters in 2000 to allow medical use of marijuana. As a trial attorney, he represented hundreds of clients accused of marijuana-related offenses, and he litigated cases and administrative actions involving Amendment 64’s implementation. Yet, nearly a decade after voter approval of his handiwork, he now professes deep disappointment and wide-ranging regrets. In today’s Perspective, he issues a searing indictment of how legalization has turned out. He decries the legal marijuana industry’s “crony” capitalism and its cozy relationship with government. He lets on, “I wish I could be proud of what we created, but I’m not. The outcome of 64 is shameful, hurts people, and Colorado is not ‘safer.’ ”
