Colorado: 7 percent v. 4 percent for sixth graders, 15 percent v. 9 percent for seventh graders, and 28 percent v. 14 percent for eighth graders. Considerably more of high-school students Denver’s followed a similar pattern, with 61 percent of seniors having Denver’s used marijuana at least once compared to 55 percent of seniors in the rest of the state and 49 percent of seniors nationwide.67 Given that as of August 1, 2014, Colorado had issued 461 marijuana business licenses in Denver and 577 throughout the rest of the state,68 the forecast for underage marijuana use in a state that has completely commercialized the drug is grim, again with major implications for the emerging workforce. Recreational marijuana: what do we know now, one year in? Although it is too soon to tell, early indicators suggest the answer is that Colorado and Washington are in trouble. Evidence from these states show several things: 1) tax revenue is not reaching expectations, 2) the underground market appears to be thriving, as dealers can undercut the legal, taxed price as well as continue to sell to minors, 3) a marijuana industry has expanded—selling marijuana- infused foods and a myriad of other products, and 4) calls to poison centers in both states appear to be rising. reporting more workplace incidents involving marijuana use in these Quest Diagnostics two states. reports positive drug tests for marijuana in Increased calls to poison control centers the workplace are up 20 percent in Colorado and 23 percent in Marijuana-related calls to Colorado poison centers have Washington. skyrocketed. As Al Bronstein, medical director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, recently told the Denver Post, “We’re Increased positive seeing hallucinations, they become sick to their stomachs, they workplace drug throw up, they become dizzy and very reported anxious.” Bronstein tests that in 2013, there were 126 calls concerning adverse reactions to marijuana. From January to April 2014 alone, the center received 65 Of particular calls.70 From January through October 2014, the Washington Poison concern to Center received 209 marijuana-related calls compared to a total of employers, Quest 148 such calls for all of 2013. One-fourth of the current-year calls Diagnostics reports involved toddlers, children ages one to three.71 workplace positive drug tests for marijuana to be up 20 percent and 23 percent in Colorado and Washington, respectively.69 And employers are
Colorado: 7 percent v. 4 percent for sixth graders, 15 percent v. 9 percent for seventh graders, and 28 percent v. 14 percent for eighth graders. Considerably more of Denver’s high-school students followed a similar pattern, with 61 percent of Denver’s seniors having used marijuana at least once compared to 55 percent of seniors in the rest of the state and 49 percent of seniors nationwide.67 Given that as of August 1, 2014, Colorado had issued 461 marijuana business licenses in Denver and 577 throughout the rest of the state,68 the forecast for underage marijuana use in a state that has completely commercialized the drug is grim, again with major implications for the emerging workforce. Recreational marijuana: what do we know now, one year in? Although it is too soon to tell, early indicators suggest the answer is that Colorado and Washington are in trouble. Evidence from these states show several things: 1) tax revenue is not reaching expectations, 2) the underground market appears to be thriving, as dealers can undercut the legal, taxed price as well as continue to sell to minors, 3) a marijuana industry has expanded—selling marijuana- infused foods and a myriad of other products, and 4) calls to poison centers in both states appear to be rising. Quest Diagnostics reports positive drug tests for marijuana in the workplace are up 20 percent in Colorado and 23 percent in Washington. Increased positive workplace drug tests Of particular concern to employers, Quest Diagnostics reports workplace positive drug tests for marijuana to be up 20 percent and 23 percent in Colorado and Washington, respectively.69 And employers are reporting more workplace incidents involving marijuana use in these two states. Increased calls to poison control centers Marijuana-related calls to Colorado poison centers have skyrocketed. As Al Bronstein, medical director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, recently told the Denver Post, “We’re seeing hallucinations, they become sick to their stomachs, they throw up, they become dizzy and very anxious.” Bronstein reported that in 2013, there were 126 calls concerning adverse reactions to marijuana. From January to April 2014 alone, the center received 65 calls.70 From January through October 2014, the Washington Poison Center received 209 marijuana-related calls compared to a total of 148 such calls for all of 2013. One-fourth of the current-year calls involved toddlers, children ages one to three.71