When Oregon voters approved recreational marijuana in 2014, Douglas County resident Karma Clarke supported the measure, believing cannabis posed little danger. Her view changed several years later after her son, then 20, began using marijuana frequently.
Clarke said her son had been a successful student and athlete before returning home after earning an associate degree. His behavior then changed dramatically. He became isolated in his bedroom and struggled with basic activities he had previously handled without difficulty, including reading a tape measure and responding to questions.
Following multiple medical appointments, he was hospitalized twice for psychiatric treatment. Clarke said drug screenings did not detect cannabis at the time, but she believed his mental state had undergone a profound change.
She recounted the experience during a virtual discussion last Wednesday organized by state Senator Lisa Reynolds. The lawmaker and pediatrician has been advocating for stronger safeguards aimed at limiting young people’s exposure to marijuana.
Clarke urged the marijuana industry to acknowledge potential harms rather than repeat the history of the tobacco business. She said she hoped companies would recognize the consequences their products can have on families.
Oregon permits recreational marijuana sales to adults 21 and over, while possession and use remain prohibited for minors. Roughly 13,000 Oregonians between 12 and 18 are estimated to use marijuana, according to Dr. Julia Dilley, an epidemiologist who conducted a decade-long examination of public health and marijuana legalization in Washington and Oregon.
Research indicates adolescents who use cannabis face substantially greater odds of developing psychotic disorders. Reynolds said the concern extends beyond temporary effects from being intoxicated, warning that psychosis can result in lasting disability.
Reynolds wants Oregon to strengthen school-based prevention efforts, require additional health warnings and restrict individual edible products to 10 mg of THC. Her proposal passed the state Senate earlier this year but failed in a House committee following opposition from cannabis industry organizations. She plans to introduce the measure again with assistance from a lobbyist.
Dilley noted that Oregon’s youth cannabis use exceeds Washington’s, which has adopted stricter controls. Washington limits individual edibles to 10 mg of THC and requires each serving to be separately wrapped. Oregon permits products containing substantially more THC per item, provided the overall package stays within the 100 mg limit.
Washington also prohibits recreational cannabis cultivation at home, limits retail outlets, and imposes a 37% cannabis tax. Oregon’s rate ranges from 17% to 20%. Both states maintain a 1,000-foot separation between marijuana businesses and public schools, while Washington extends similar restrictions to other child-focused sites.
For firms like Canopy Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: CGC) operating in more mature legal marijuana markets, the need to limit access by minors to marijuana products is a big concern and all stakeholders need to work together to devise means that address this matter in ways that don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.
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