01/31/2022
The Alpena Area Ministerial Association has sent the following letter to the Alpena Township Planning Commission in response to their Special Meeting & Public Hearing regarding the proposed Zoning Ordinance for allowing Medical Ma*****na facilities & adult use establishments in the township. This will take place on Monday, January 31, 2022 at 7PM at the Township Office and we encourage you to make your views known. Let's pray for our community and our officials who are making decisions that affect us all. Thank you.
Alpena Area Ministerial Association
Dear Members of the Alpena Township Planning Commission,
Although the Alpena Area Ministerial Association (AAMA) normally serves society within
the spiritual domain, the abhorrent decisions made regarding ma*****na recreational
business licenses have compelled our organization to enter the fray in vehement opposition
to the granting of such licenses. Fiscally oriented decisions in consideration of recreational
ma*****na licenses will undoubtedly cause irreversible damage to our community.
The AAMA will present facts, as supported by medical research and other forms of
(reputable) sources, to substantiate our convictions. Our firm belief is that the Alpena
Township Planning Commission is currently ill informed of the hazards of recreational and
medical ma*****na and will therefore err in granting such licenses. The initial fiscal gains of
such licenses will be offset by irreversible social decay, as experienced in municipalities
that granted such licenses in other states (see research below).
This AAMA opinion letter will be accompanied by a short literature review.
Literature review
This literature review is not an exhaustive academic effort. The purpose of this limited
literature review is to contextualize the AAMA opinion, as gleaned from relevant and
referenced sources.
Background
The term ma*****na refers to parts of the Cannabis Sativa plant, which contain the main
psychoactive agent (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) responsible for mind altering
effects, when consumed (Volkow 2020).
Ma*****na is the most prolific illicit drug in the world, with an estimated 188 million users
worldwide (Hall and Lynskey 2020). In the United States, users are growing at a rate of
7000 new users per day, with the most frequent users reported to be children and
adolescents as young as 12 years old (Palacios-Ceña et al. 2019).
Positively, there appears to be medical benefits to THC. Research shows that the medical
potential of secondary metabolites, such as cannabis, include its use as alternative pain
reliever, especially in cancer patients where opioid based pain relievers may have
contraindications or side effects (Blake et al., 2017). Other sources reported benefits for
patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid
arthritis (Brunt and Bossong 2020). However, due to the wide range of side effects and
risks associated with ma*****na use, researchers openly warn against the use of ma*****na
due to the high risk of addiction, severe side effects and the lack of scientific evidence
supporting these potential benefits!
If there are such potential medical benefits while using ma*****na, why are we seeing an
overwhelming reluctance from the medical field in making this controversial drug available
to their patients?
Medical research
Physicians are required, by law, to take the Hippocratic oath, which states that physicians
shall “first, do no harm”. In addressing the contentious issue of ma*****na prescription, the
New Zealand medical journal explains eloquently that at present (and with the availability of
current research data) ma*****na cannot be prescribed without breaking this oath (Boden,
2019).
To further illuminate these statements from medical researchers, let us look at some of the
current research regarding the potential side effects of ma*****na use:
Ma*****na has been shown to have severe negative effects on the brain and neurological
networks. Much of the pleasurable effect of ma*****na is ascribed to the decreased
behavior inhibition and elevated reward drive (Taylor, Hammonds, and Filbey 2021), that is
comparable to the effects of co***ne, he**in and other methamphetamines (Zilverstand et
al. 2018). More importantly, this over elevation of the reward system network (also known
as the behavioral approach or BAS system) led to a significantly blunted reward system
during non-use periods in research participants (Zilverstand et al., 2018). This blunted
reward system manifests as a lack of fidelity and motivation. Therefore, research shows
that the brain network effects of ma*****na use are not only temporary.
Similar studies report that symptoms of prolonged ma*****na use, which specifically
includes medically prescribed ma*****na, include structural changes to white and grey brain
matter, which leads to reduced executive brain function, reduced cognitive function (such
as memory loss), emotional mood disorders, and in some cases mental psychosis, also
called cannabis psychosis (Manuel BertolĂn-GuillĂ©n 2019). Due to the stimulation of the
reward and dopamine nerve centers, ma*****na use comes with extremely high risks of
addiction (Brunt and Bossong 2020).
Negative physical effects of ma*****na use include cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
(CHS) which causes severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain (Deceuninck and
Jacques 2019) and a marked increase in obesity (Brucato 2018) and erectile dysfunction
(Pizzol et al. 2019). The effect of ma*****na smoking on the cardiovascular system has
also been documented. Ma*****na smoking has been furthermore shown to produce more
severe carcinogenic (cancer causing) side effects than normal to***co smoking, due to
larger deposits of tar and a larger carbon monoxide boost in the body (Aung et al., 2004).
The lucrative market for medical ma*****na has also stimulated research into genetically
modified ma*****na, called synthetic cannabinoids (SC). Various forms of SC can now be
found in the local ma*****na market. Research shows that whilst side effects of natural
ma*****na include the above mentioned cognitive, emotional and executive brain function
impairment, regular users of these SC products present with more severe side effects
(Dursun et al., 2019). Specific issues relating to potency, due to these SC related products,
will be discussed below.
Addiction
The addictive effect of ma*****na (caused by THC) has been well documented (Brunt and
Bossong 2020), and drug rehabilitation experts have classified ma*****na as a gateway
drug. This gateway effect stems from the lowered addiction threshold in ma*****na users,
making the subsequent drugs more addictive (Brucato 2018). Ma*****na addiction seems to
be more severe in younger population groups. Most states in the US classify ma*****na as
a schedule 1 substance (highly dangerous and addictive illegal substances such as he**in
and co***ne are classified as schedule 1 substances), as only 16 states allow recreational
ma*****na use under the federal controlled substance act. Although ma*****na is classified
a schedule 1 substance, recent research showed that 44% of high school seniors have
experimented with the drug (Scheier and Griffin 2021). This trend is especially worrying
when considering the results from a large European study (over 42 000 participants), that
showed that ma*****na use amongst younger cohorts led to subsequent multiple-drug use
(Palacios-Ceña et al. 2019).
Ma*****na potency, as measured by the concentration of THC (the psychoactive component
of Ma*****na), has shown a 7-fold increase since the 1970`s (Pierre 2017). As THC is the
main addictive component of ma*****na, the increased potency has caused an increase in
levels of addiction, as witnessed by addiction experts (Stuyt E 2018).
Research has shown an alarming trend regarding illicit ma*****na use in states that have
legalized medical and recreational ma*****na (MML) use. During the period from 1991 to
2013, illicit ma*****na increased significantly in MML states, compared to a decrease in illicit
ma*****na use in non-MML states (Deborah S Hasin et al. 2017). This reputable and
longitudinal research study nullifies claims by pro-ma*****na groups that the legalization will
curb illicit ma*****na use. The loss of exclusivity in the ma*****na market has led to a sharp
decrease in ma*****na prices, further forcing ma*****na cultivators to increase product
potency (and therefore quality of their product), with disastrous consequences (Hall and
Lynskey 2020).
Socio-economic impact
In addition to the above-mentioned negative effects of ma*****na use, socio-economic
consequences are severe.
Ma*****na use amongst children is of great concern. A large sample research study of more
than 86 000 participants, between the ages of 12 to15 years, revealed a significant relationship between adolescent ma*****na use and su***de (Andre F. Carvalho et al. 2019).
Longitudinal research of more than 1100 college students showed that students who reported using ma*****na in combination with other substances like alcohol, averaged significantly lower GPA`s (over a 2-year period) in comparison to students that did not use
such substances (Meda et al. 2017).
MML states that have legalized recreational ma*****na use, such as Colorado, have seen a severe impact on the public health system. Some ma*****na related medical incidents such
as cannabis psychosis have increased by 5 times, whereas ma*****na related vehicle accidents, violence and su***des have also seen sharp increases since the legalization of recreational ma*****na (Hall and Lynskey 2020). MML states have also seen an increase in
cannabis related driving incidents (DUI), compared to non-MML states (Fink et al. 2020).
In terms of crime, research shows that ma*****na legalization has a negative effect on
localized crime and blight levels. In Denver, areas that contained recreational ma*****na
dispensaries experienced an 18% increase in blight and crime levels after legalization
(Kavousi et al. 2021). The fiscal impact of these socio-economic problems will undoubtedly
outweigh any short-term financial benefits of ma*****na taxes and licenses.
Conclusion
In weighing the risk and reward of allowing the sale of ma*****na in our community, it is
clear; the risks associated with the scourge of ma*****na use far outweighs any fiscal
reward. When combining the modern factors of potency increase, the introduction of more
sophisticated consumption methods such as electronic ci******es and the easier
accessibility of ma*****na in MML states, it is easy to predict a perfect societal storm! From
the above research the fiscal argument in support of ma*****na licenses, is fatally flawed.
Increases in public health spending, addiction related social costs and crime fighting will
dwarf any increases in municipal revenue. Additionally, increased blight and crime will certainly affect property value and tax revenue, offsetting the revenue from ma*****na
licenses (Kavousi et al. 2021).
In consideration of the abundance of evidence (gleaned from reputable research sources) pointing to the destruction that will accompany the granting of ma*****na licenses in Alpena
Township, we urge the Alpena Township Planning Commission to carefully and dutifully consider the facts presented in this letter.
In closing, please remember that many of our churches represent large numbers of people who are tax-payers and voters, and concerned citizens who care about the future of our community.
We therefore respectfully ask that you respond to the concerns of the AAMA and the constituents that we represent.
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