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Experts Release New Report on High Potency Cannabis Urging California to Take Significant Steps to Protect Communities
A new report, prepared by an independent panel of scientists convened by the California Department of Public Health, warns that high-potency cannabis poses a threat to public health, and shares recommendations to protect the health of communities in California. PHI’s Lynn Silver is a co-chair of the independent scientific committee who developed the report.
- Sacramento Bee
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Getting it Right from the Start: Advancing Public Health & Equity in Cannabis Regulation
“California should take significant steps to restrict cannabis in the state, a new report urged Wednesday.
The report was prepared by an independent panel of scientists convened by the California Department of Public Health, and warns that high-potency cannabis poses a threat to public health, particularly for young people, pregnant people and people with mental health conditions.
“As cannabis legalization advances, our report underscores the urgent need for stronger regulatory protections and public education about the dangers of high-potency cannabis,” said study co-author Daniele Piomelli in a statement shared by the public health advocacy group Getting It Right From The Start.
In addition to tamping down on the THC content in California’s weed, the report advises banning marijuana-related billboard advertising, requiring cannabis retailers to offer lower potency options to customers, tax the THC content of the weed, regulate the packaging and marketing of cannabis products by requiring plain packaging, banning flavors that can be attractive to children, educating the public about the risks associated with high-potency cannabis and tracking health outcomes related to product potency.
These new products bear little resemblance to the traditional plant; from high potency flower to concentrates for ‘dabbing’ and vaping they pose significantly greater risks of dependency and triggering psychosis... Given the growing toll of addiction and mental illness, there is no excuse for further delay in public policy.Lynn Silver, MD, MPH, FAAP
Director, Getting It Right From The Start, Public Health Institute
Click on the link below to read the full article.
Learn more: Report and Recommendations of the High Potency Cannabis Think Tank to the State of California
This report, prepared by a committee of scientists and medical experts convened by the California Department of Public Health, provides an analysis of the problem of increasing potency of cannabis and cannabis products and shares recommendations to address it.
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Originally published by Sacramento Bee
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