ADAI News

Save the Date! Marijuana Research Symposium, May 20, 2016

Marijuana in Washington:
Shaping a Research Agenda

Friday, May 20, 2016 ~ 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
UW Tower Auditorium

The Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute will host our 2nd research symposium on marijuana in Washington State. This meeting will explore new and persistent questions within the changing landscape of legal marijuana, including:

• New policies, new challenges and opportunities
• Marijuana and public health
• Prevention, brief intervention, and treatment

Keynote Speaker: Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, PhD
Director, BING Center for Health Economics
Co-Director, Drug Policy Research Center, RAND Corporation

The symposium is aimed at researchers, policy makers, public health professionals, and clinicians.

The symposium is free, but registration is required.  Registration will open March 15, 2016.

http://adai.uw.edu/mjsymposium/

adai@uw.edu

UW Study on Adult Marijuana and Tobacco Use

Researchers at the University of Washington are conducting a confidential study seeking adult marijuana and tobacco users who are interested in trying to quit marijuana.  The study offers a 12-24 week program that includes a combination of individual and computer assisted counseling sessions.  Incentives are provided for achieving abstinence from marijuana, based on twice weekly drug testing.   Participants can earn up to $435 over the course of treatment for being abstinent from marijuana.  The program does not involve any groups.  Each session is centered on identifying, learning, and practicing the skills needed to quit smoking marijuana.  The program will also provide assistance with quitting tobacco for those who are interested, including free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (gum, lozenges, and patches).  All services are provided free. Participants must be available to come to the study location in Seattle’s University District two times per week for twelve to twenty-four weeks and to participate in research assessments (also compensated). 

More about the study...

Online Training for Healthcare Providers on Medicinal Cannabis

The University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute  launched a new interactive online education program that gives healthcare providers the knowledge and tools they need to discuss medicinal cannabis with their patients suffering from chronic pain.  

Medicinal cannabis has been shown to be an effective therapy in the treatment of chronic pain.  Though a legally available option in Washington State, recommendations for medicinal cannabis may be avoided by providers who lack knowledge about the potential benefits and risks of this approach in managing chronic pain, and confidence in discussing this option with their patients. 

 “Washington State passed one of the earliest laws allowing for the use of medical marijuana by qualified patients.  We now have the legal marijuana as well for non-medical use.  Thus, regardless of personal opinions or viewpoints, it is critical that all health care providers in our state possess a good working knowledge of the pharmacology of cannabis,” said Dr. Gregory Carter, Medical Director of St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane and a key instructor in the training.

"Medicinal Cannabis and Chronic Pain" was developed with a grant awarded to ADAI Research Scientist Dr. Beatriz Carlini by the Washington Office of the Attorney General to offer non-judgmental, science-based information to healthcare providers and the general public.

 “Our ultimate goal is to help clinicians to make informed clinical decisions on this topic. The information provided during the trainings aims to destigmatize cannabis and increase providers’ comfort level in talking to patients about medicinal cannabis,” Carlini said. Included on the training website are patient education materials and screening and clinical tools for providers.  Up to 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are available for health care providers who successfully complete the online course.

More information about this project and a link to the training can be found at http://adai.uw.edu/mcacp/.

Roger Roffman Chronicles Society’s Long Struggle with Pot in ‘Marijuana Nation’

Roger Roffman is a UW professor emeritus of social work who has studied marijuana dependence interventions for 30 years, and was a sponsor of Initiative 502, which legalized recreational marijuana in Washington. In an interview with UW News and Information, he answered a few questions about his new book, “Marijuana Nation: One Man’s Chronicle of America Getting High: From Vietnam to Legalization.”   The book follows Roffman’s exposure to marijuana while serving as a US Army officer in Vietnam, his personal use (and cessation of use), and his research and activism on behalf of patients who would benefit from medical marijuana.  From lobbying in Washington, to talking to doctors and nurses in oncology wards, and watching his brother struggle with addiction, Roffman has experienced the layered and complex relationship Americans have with marijuana first-hand. He was a co-sponsor of Washington State Initiative 502, which legalized marijuana for adults.

Read the full interview

ADAI Receives Grant on Chronic Pain Management and Cannabis

The UW Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute has received a grant from the state Attorney General’s Office to provide training and education for health professionals and the general public on the subject of chronic pain management and cannabis use.

The grant was presented by Attorney General Bob Ferguson in an event at the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute on Oct. 17.

The grant, to Beatriz Carlini, Phd, MPH, research scientist, and her colleagues at the Institute, will assess and address gaps in science-based training and education for a number of groups: staff of community organizations that provide information to individuals suffering from chronic pain, health care providers and the general public.

“Chronic pain is a major public health issue,” Carlini said. “This project will offer non-judgmental, science-based information to clinicians and to the general public on the role of medical marijuana as an option in alleviating intractable pain in our state.”

The ultimate goal of the project is to increase awareness of the options available to treat pain and other medical conditions, and to decrease unnecessary suffering among people living with chronic pain. The project will provide and information and education about medical conditions and populations for whom cannabis is recommended, and for whom it is not recommended, as well as possible side effects and risks.

Related article in Seattle Weekly, Oct 31, 2013.

[Photo from the Office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson.]

Washington Approves Proposed Rules to Implement I-502

The Washington State Liquor Control Board today approved the filing of proposed supplemental rules that, if ultimately enacted, will help govern Washington State’s system of producing, processing and retailing recreational marijuana. The Board first proposed rules on July 3, 2013, then chose to revise and re-file them after receiving public input at five public hearings across Washington.  A key component of implementation is that the recreational market would be tightly regulated to prevent diversion of marijuana to minors, and reduce any impact of adolecent use.

“These rules fulfill the public expectation of creating a tightly-regulated and controlled system while providing reasonable access to participation in the market, said WSLCB Board Chair Sharon Foster. “Importantly, we believe these rules meet the eight federal government enforcement priorities within Thursday’s guidance memo from the Department of Justice.”

Key Public Safety Elements

Public safety is the top priority of the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

• All grows must meet strictly controlled on-site security requirements;
• Strict surveillance and transportation requirements;
• Robust traceability software system that will track inventory from start to sale;
• Criminal background checks on all license applicants;
• Tough penalty guidelines for public safety violations including loss of license;
• Restricting certain advertising that may be targeted at children.

Key Consumer Safety Elements

The proposed rules provide a heightened level of consumer safety that has not existed previously.

• Packaging and label requirements including dosage and warnings;
• Only lab tested and approved products will be available;
• Defined serving sizes and package limits on marijuana in solid form;
• Store signage requirements to educate customers.

 

Feds Will Not Challenge WA and CO Marijuana Laws

This morning, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder informed the governors of Washington and Colorado that the Department of Justice would not interfere with the states' implementation of ballot initiatives legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in a memo sent to U.S. attorneys across the country, described the decision as part of an update to its federal marijuana enforcement policy, which will now focus on eight specific concerns, including preventing the use of marijuana by minors and making sure legal marijuana products in Washington and Colorado do not travel across state lines.

The DOJ plans to rely on local law enforcement agencies to enforce their own marijuana laws, but reserves the right to "aggressively" step in if they feel the states are not adopting effective regulatory schemes. 

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee held a news conference earlier today to discuss the change in policy, and cautioned that there are still some unanswered questions, including concerns about differing regulations for the state's medical marijuana system, and whether interstate banks will be willing to work with state marijuana businesses given the fact the federal government still considers pot illegal.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board, charged with writing and implementing the state's marijuana regulations, responded with a statement thanking the Obama administration and particularly Mr. Holder and the Dept. of Justice for its guidance today.

For more information:

Feds won't challenge Washington's pot law (Seattle Times)

Eric Holder Says DOJ Will Let Washington, Colorado Marijuana Laws Go into Effect (Huffington Post)

U.S. Department of Justice memo to U.S. Attorneys

 

Marijuana Legalization in Washington - Recent News Items

Marijuana Legalization: Are There Alternatives to State - Federal Conflict? (video) Brookings Institute Panel Discussion

Marijuana Policy and Presidential Leadership: How to Avoid a Federal-State Train Wreck by Stuart Taylor, The Brookings Institute)

"With Austin Jenkins on Cannabis in Washington"  (video) Inside Olympia (TVW)

Defining a "serving" of cannabis. Mark Kleiman, Reality-Based Community

Psychomotor function in chronic daily cannabis smokers during sustained abstinence. PLOS One

Pot Is Legal in Washington: Q&A [with Mark Kleiman] Time Magazine

Medical question mark arises for state’s pot market. Yakima Herald Republic

Marijuana: Science-Based Information for the Public

The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute launched the website "Marijuana: Science-Based Information for the Public" in 2011 to provide current and science-based information about marijuana for the general public.  The site was updated with new resources after the passage of Initiative 502, which legalized adult use of marijuana in Washington state.  The updated site includes factsheets on the health and social aspects of marijuana, a section on law and policy, special sections for parents and teens, and describes University of Washington research and information activities about marijuana.

We will continue to expand the site with a special emphasis on knowledge focusing on the state of Washington. 

Visit http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/

Mark Kleiman Will Advise on Marijuana Policy in WA State

Mark Kleiman has been chosen to advise the Washington State Liquor Control Board on policies related to the legalization of marijauana, following passage of Initiative 502 in November. Dr. Kleiman is a Professor of Public Policy in the UCLA School of Public Affairs and a researcher, author and co-author of numerous articles and books on drug policy, including Marijuana Legalization: What Everone Needs to Know.  He also blogs for Huffington Post and The Reality Based Community, where he posted recently about his new role advising Washington State about marijuana.

More about and by Dr. Kleiman:

Meet Mark Kleiman..Washington's Pot Czar (The Daily Beast, March 21, 2013)

Kleiman Knows Ins and Outs of Pot Legalization (Seattle Times, March 19, 2013)

Why We Need to Solve Our Alcohol Problem to Solve Our Crime Problem (Washington Post's Wonkblog, March 28, 2013)

WSLCB Names BOTEC Marijuana Consultant

We'll continue to post items here about Washington's marijuana law and related news. More information can be found on our website Marijuana: Science-Based Information for the Public  and the Information Brief Marijuana Legalization in Washington State.