October 5, 2012 Fellow Coloradans: Have you heard about Amendment 64?

Make sure to think about Colorados kids and know the facts before you vote in November. Regardless of your feelings about marijuana, we, as pediatricians, feel it is important to know about how marijuana legalization can affect children and teenagers and the increased risks they could face if Amendment 64 passes. Heres what the studies have found. Marijuana and Young Children Since medical marijuana dispensaries began operating in 2009, there have been more accidental ingestions of marijuana by young children in Colorado (1, 2). o Between October 2009 and December 2011, there were 14 children (ages 8 months-12 years) seen for accidental marijuana ingestions at Childrens Hospital Colorado. Of these children, 9 had documented exposure to someone elses medical marijuana, 8 were hospitalized, and 2 required admission to the intensive care unit (2). o There were no children seen at Childrens Hospital Colorado for accidental marijuana ingestions from January 2005 to October 2009 (2). Marijuana and Teenagers Chronic use of marijuana before age of 15 leads to worse neurocognitive functioning (i.e. ability to think, to reason, and to work) later in life (3). Use of marijuana before age 18 increases risk of other illicit drug use (4). Using marijuana as a young teenager puts vulnerable individuals at increased risk of developing of psychosis (5). In Colorado, 49-74% of teenagers in a drug rehabilitation programs report buying or receiving marijuana from a person with a medical marijuana card (6, 7). Easy access to marijuana in the community and having friends and family who use marijuana makes teenagers much more likely to use marijuana (8-11). Marijuana use is generally higher in countries where nonusers associate fewer risks with it and where marijuana availability is high (12). o In the Netherlands where there is acceptance of marijuana, 28% of boys had used marijuana and 4.3% had frequent use. o In contrast, Sweden where marijuana tolerance is zero, only 7.6% of boys had used marijuana and 0.7% had frequent use. Other Potential Costs Marijuana can lead to more reckless driving (13). Compared to 2007-2008, there have been 15 more fatal car crashes involving a driver under the influence of marijuana in 2009-2010 (14). For every $1 received in taxes from alcohol, more than $10 are spent on alcoholassociated conditions (15). It is unknown how much will be spent in the future for

marijuana-related illnesses such as lung disease, cognitive impairments, and mental illness (3, 5, 16). Sincerely, Colorado Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics Dr. Cathryn Wells, MD, FAAP Dr. Claudia Kunrath, MD, FAAP Dr. Kristine Knuti Rodrigues, MD, FAAP Dr. George Wang, MD
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