Senate Committee Voting on Marijuana Commercialization!
Tomorrow Senate Bill 1133 (R-Ebbin), a bill that seeks to commercialize high potency THC products, including recreational marijuana, is going to be heard in Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services subcommittee!
Make no mistake, this bill will allow for a “pot shop” on every street corner, which will have serious consequences on our community and lead countless youth down the dangerous path of drug abuse!
The evidence from various studies and the experiences of other states clearly show that doing so would lead to more addiction, mental illness, suicide, traffic deaths, and much more. Here are a few other important points to consider:
Marijuana today is much more potent than in prior decades - the addictive THC ingredient has increased 65 times on average. As a result, there’s a significant increase in schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, and anxiety, as well as impaired memory and judgment.
Since Colorado legalized marijuana, emergency room visits by toddlers who consume edibles increased 54% and hospitalizations increased 101% from year to year. Colorado has also seen increased addiction and suicide -- from 2016 to 2019, the rate of teen suicide increased by 58% (the cause of one in five adolescent deaths).
No state presents a better example of the failure of legalization than California. Barely three years old, the marijuana industry is already crashing due to its failure to compete with the illicit market. Gov. Gavin Newsom has had to resort to sending in the National Guard to combat extensive illegal growing operations.
