Today's Marijuana Isn't Smoked in Joints, but With the Help of a Blowtorch.

Here’s what we learned about today's marijuana from our speakers at the Sport Exchange Summit last week:

YES, the traditional, herbal cannabis sativa and cannabis indica are botanical plants.

NO, many new users are not smoking herbal cannabis anymore—more on edibles and butane hash oil (BHO) later.

YES, recreational marijuana is legal in four states (Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska), and the District of Columbia.

NO, medical marijuana is not covered through medical exceptions or therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) in sport.

YES, there are some medicinal benefits from the cannabidiol (CBD) components of the flower.

NO, the CBD concentrations of marijuana are not increasing with rising THC potency.

Slide Courtesy of CeDAR speakers Dr. LaTisha Bader and Ben Cort, July 2016. 

Slide Courtesy of CeDAR speakers Dr. LaTisha Bader and Ben Cort, July 2016. 

YES, the THC (psychoactive element) concentration of marijuana is increasing exponentially.

NO, THC-laced edibles and drinks aren’t better or “healthier” forms of consumption.

YES, marijuana is being marketed blatantly to all generations, income levels, and demographics—even to children.

NO, marijuana is not “safer” than alcohol or other illicit drugs.

YES, 1 in 6 adolescents and 1 in 10 adults who try marijuana will become addicted to it.

NO, 420 is not as relevant as 710 in 2016.

Slide Courtesy of CeDAR speakers Dr. LaTisha Bader and Ben Cort, July 2016. 

YES, butane is used to strip the THC from marijuana plant material to create BHO concentrates.

NO, not all of the butane is removed before users light up a blow torch and take a “dab” hit to get high.

Slide Courtesy of CeDAR speakers Dr. LaTisha Bader and Ben Cort, July 2016. 

YES, BHO concentrates are up to 90% THC and deliver the equivalent of smoking 5 joints in just one dab hit. 

NO, marijuana and THC-containing edibles or oils are not regulated to ensure safety, efficacy, or truth in labeling.

Slide Courtesy of CeDAR speakers Dr. LaTisha Bader and Ben Cort, July 2016. 

YES, that means that one “serving” of an edible (10mg = legal dose) could be as small as the ear of a gummy bear—NOT the whole bear, or the full package of six gummy bears sold to the user.

NO, legalization hasn’t made marijuana less of a concern.

OH, and did we mention the significant (and irreversible) decline in IQ points seen in frequent users?

Colorado-based addiction practitioner and licensed psychologist, Dr. LaTisha Bader, and long-term recovered addict, Ben Cort, shocked and awakened attendees at the 2016 Sport Exchange Summit with their straight-forward and relevant presentation on marijuana.  Their message to all members of the “team behind the team”—including parents—was to “know your 2-minute talk.” Understand behavior change, know the perceptions surrounding use, know the consequences of use, and set expectations with athletes. Express your concern and engage in well-informed dialogue on the subject. 

Slide Courtesy of CeDAR speakers Dr. LaTisha Bader and Ben Cort, July 2016. 

For additional help and resources, we’ve provided some links below.

More Education on Marijuana: 

• The Drug Free Sport Speakers Bureau is scheduling education sessions for Fall 2016 and Spring 2017. To invite a speaker to your campus to discuss marijuana or other issues in sport, please contact our Education Program Manager, Anna Filardo, at afilardo@drugfreesport.com or 816-285-1429.

 

• Join Dr. LaTisha Bader and Ben Cort for their webinar "New Trends & Consequences of Marijuana Use Today"  hosted by Drug Free Sport. The live webinar will be on August 23, 2016, from 1-2pm Central Time. Click here to register. Space is limited to the first 100 registrants. 

Resource Links:

CeDAR/University of Colorado Hospital (Ascent Track)

Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana)

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)

Peer reviewed, Published Studies and Other Resources on Marijuana:

Hall, W. (2015), What has research over the past two decades revealed about the adverse health effects of recreational cannabis use?. Addiction, 110: 19–35. doi: 10.1111/add.12703

Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use, by Nora D. Volkow, M.D., Ruben D. Baler, Ph.D., Wilson M. Compton, M.D., and Susan R.B. Weiss, Ph.D., published online June 4, 2014 in The New England Journal of Medicine

Marta Di Forti, Arianna Marconi, Elena Carra, Sara Fraietta, Antonella Trotta, Matteo Bonomo, et al. Proportion of patients in south London with first-episode psychosis attributable to use of high potency cannabis: a case-control study. The Lancet Psychiatry, Vol. 2, No. 3, p233–238. Published online: February 16, 2015

Rocky Mountain HIDTA Volume 2/August 2014 Report, “The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact.”

Marijuana Legalization in Colorado: Early Findings. March 2016.  Produced by the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Amphetamine Misuse For Academic Gain: How Effective Are They?

Contributed by Anna Filardo, Education Program Manager at Drug Free Sport, Inc.

More NCAA student-athletes report using ADHD medications without a prescription compared to those with a prescription and medical diagnosis, according to the 2014 NCAA Substance Abuse Survey. Especially around this time of year, students may misuse or abuse prescription amphetamines such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta to enhance memory and academic performance.

This is of concern to a number of sports organizations as not only are amphetamines banned/prohibited, but also potentially harmful to the athlete’s health. And ultimately, if the athlete does not have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), does the non-medical use of these prescription stimulants actually lead to improved academic outcomes? We decided to investigate. 

Results from the NCAA Substance Abuse Survey.

First, let’s get a few knowledge points out of the way.

Amphetamines are:

• Occasionally called “speed” or “uppers," are synthetic, psychoactive drugs that are central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. 
• Prescribed to treat narcolepsy, obesity, and attention deficit/hypertension disorder (ADHD). 
• Considered performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) that delay the onset of (or mitigate) fatigue. 
• Banned/prohibited stimulants by most, if not all, sports organizations. 
• Commonly found in dietary supplements, namely those marketed as “pre-workouts," but also hidden in other types of supplements. 
• Listed on product labels under different names or chemical formulas, causing uncertainty for consumers. (See Box 1 for examples popular ingredients of concern.) 
• Associated with negative health effects when misused/abused. (See Box 2.)

But, are they effective for improved academic performance?

In 2015, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that ADHD medications provide little to no benefit to those without medical need. In fact, the medication caused a decrease in motivation, and an increase in omission errors when compared to a control group. Amphetamine-users also perceived themselves as having poorer study habits and lower motivation than their non-user counterparts.

The University of Maryland School of Public Health conducted a literature review on non-medical amphetamine use among college-aged students. Their research revealed that non-medical use of amphetamines was also associated with the following characteristics in college-aged students:

• Excessive drinking and other drug use 
• Lower GPA 
• Low perceived harmfulness of using prescription stimulants non-medically 
• Greater attention difficulties 
• Psychiatric distress or depressed mood 
• More likely to skip class 
• Affiliation with a Greek (fraternity/sorority) organization 

For the full University of Maryland report click here: Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants.

Medical Exceptions for ADHD Medications

The NCAA and World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) do have medical exception processes that athletes may complete should prescription amphetamines be required for a diagnosed medical need. NCAA and WADA athletes will need to fill out the ADHD Medical Exception Reporting Form or the Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) form, respectively. The use of amphetamines will cause a positive drug test—and without a current prescription and medical exception, appropriate sanctions will follow.

Amphetamines are more dangerous than perceived and should only be used under the direction of a medical doctor. Prescription amphetamines are Schedule II drugs with considerable potential for abuse and addiction. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, distributing Schedule II stimulants illegally (e.g., sharing or selling pills) is a felony.

If you or a student-athlete have a questions regarding amphetamine use (dietary supplement or medication), please visit www.dfsrec.com or call Drug Free Sport at 877-202-0769.



References:
Center for Substance Abuse Research. (2013, Oct. 29). Amphetamines Retrieved from http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/amphetamines.asp
Center on Young Adult Heath and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health. Retrieved from http://medicineabuseproject.org/assets/documents/NPSFactSheet.pdf
Illeva, I.P., & Farrah, M.J. (2015). Attention, motivation, and study habits in users of unprescribed ADHD medication. Journal of Attention Disorders, 1-13. doi: 10.1177/1087054715591849
Lakhan, S.E., & Kirchgessner, A. (2012). Prescription stimulants in individuals with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: misuse, cognitive impact, and adverse effects. Brain and Behavior
National Collegiate Athletic Association. (2013). [Graph illustration from NCAA substance use survey]. NCAA National Study of Substance Use Habits of College Student-Athletes. Retrieved from https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Substance%20Use%20Final%20Report_FINAL.pdf
Rosenbloom, C.A., & Coleman, E.J. (2012). Sports Nutrition: A practice manual for professionals. United States of America: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.