With collectively over 60 years of experience in the field of medicine in Alaska, we have grave concerns about and oppose the legalization and commercialization of marijuana in Alaska. When Alaskans face this critical decision in November, it is essential that we all consider the implications to our health, our social service programs, our public safety, our youth and our communities.
Ballot Measure 2 seeks to legalize, commercialize and advertise marijuana and derived products such as drug-infused edibles and potent concentrates. These related products are very unlike marijuana of the past in their intensity. In 1976, the average amount of THC in marijuana (the psychoactive ingredient of the plant) was 0.98 percent; and the average THC level in 1992 was 3.08 percent. As measured in 2012, the THC concentrations of smoked leaves/buds averaged 12.3 percent. By comparison, butane hash oil concentrates like shatter contain as much as 90 percent THC. Concentrates are explicitly legalized in this initiative.
In a review of current medical literature published in the New England Journal of Medicine, published this year, scientists from the National Institute on Drug Abuse carefully concluded that marijuana use is related to numerous adverse health effects including altered brain development, addiction, poor educational outcomes, chronic bronchitis, impaired motor coordination, reduced life satisfaction, cognitive impairment, and increased risk of chronic psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, in individuals who are predisposed to those disorders. The adverse effects are especially powerful when marijuana use begins during adolescence, as the brain is still developing.
Many proponents of legalization argue that marijuana is not addictive. This is inaccurate. One in six adolescent marijuana users become dependent on the substance and meet criteria for addiction. For all marijuana consumers, that number rises to 25-50 percent when marijuana is used daily, according to NIDA. Anyone who doubts the possibility of marijuana dependence should watch, as doctors in Alaska and elsewhere have, someone experience the symptoms of withdrawal: the fatigue, irritability, dysphoria, sleep disruptions, and cravings are very real.
Regular marijuana use is also linked to brain abnormalities. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functioning, suffers both lowered activity and reduced functional connectivity, and the hippocampus decreases in volume. The functional consequences of these brain abnormalities may include lower educational outcomes and diminished life satisfaction and achievement. Frequent, heavy use of marijuana starting in early adolescence and continuing through adulthood is also associated with an average decline of eight IQ points.
Virtually every week new scientific studies are published documenting the real and serious medical problems associated with marijuana. Very recently, a team of researchers found that teens who smoke marijuana daily are seven times more likely to attempt suicide and 60 percent less likely to finish high school. Adverse impacts on the lungs, the heart, and fetal development have also been documented.
The health dangers of marijuana are very real, yet legalization will make the substance seem safer and more acceptable. Historically, as perception of danger goes down, use has increased, especially among youth, and this effect will only be amplified by the aggressive marketing we can expect to see from the commercialized marijuana industry. While the initiative states that advertising and displays of marijuana and paraphernalia might be subject to "reasonable restrictions," the experience in Colorado shows that advertising is pervasive and aggressive, and the marijuana industry has challenged limits on advertising as violations of the First Amendment.
We can expect to see marijuana widely promoted as a safe substance in our communities and near our children. In fact, Anchorage already has had Lower 48-inspired bus advertisements that pair an image of marijuana with the word "safer." The marijuana industry can be likened to Big Tobacco -- in order to make a profit, the pot industry needs to recruit new users and get current users to use even more.
As marijuana use increases, we can expect intensified needs for health care and social services such as substance abuse treatment and child protective services. The state of Alaska is projecting this. Marijuana legalization would also introduce additional instability in the Alaska workforce and lead to job-site accidents and increased insurance costs. While a select few members of the commercialized marijuana industry would see personal profits with legalization, the costs to all Alaskans in terms of health care, public safety, and social well-being are far too great.
We urge you to join us in considering the serious costs of marijuana to our communities and our future and vote no on 2.
Dr. Steven Compton is board certified in clinical cardiac electrophysiology, clinical cardiology, and internal medicine. Dr. Mary Ann Foland is a family physician practicing at Family Care Associates. Dr. Paula Colescott specializes in internal medicine. All three have medical practices in Anchorage.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.