MEDICAL MARIJUANA- WHERE WE STAND

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Vision: Grant County will be a united community that supports safe, healthy, and active youth and families for generations and beyond.

Mission: Champions for a Drug Free Grant County works with the community to reduce and prevent substance use and violence among youth, their families, and those in future generations.

Recommendation: In order to protect the youth of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, cannabis use should not be legalized in any capacity.

Medical Cannabis

The term medical cannabis refers to using the whole, unprocessed cannabis plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the cannabis plant as medicine. (NIDA, April 2017)

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not currently recognize cannabis as medicine.  There are currently 3 FDA approved medications that contain cannabinoids in pill form.  These medications are currently being used to treat the side effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients, AIDS wasting syndrome, and anorexia.  There are also existing legal drugs that can be used to treat these conditions, as well as glaucoma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and multiple sclerosis.

The legalization of medical cannabis will lower the perception of harm of use for youth, which can lead to an increase in youth usage.  According to the 2016 Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) Survey, 11.8% of 10th graders in Northern Kentucky reported use in the past 30 days, which is above the state average of 11.3%.

Please remember, protect the youth in Northern Kentucky and across the state, by not legalizing the use of medical cannabis.