Let’s Be Clear Georgia is filling the gap between the perception of marijuana as a soft, fun drug and what science, persons in recovery from marijuana dependence, and parents who have lost their children to marijuana are telling us.



The Georgia COVID-19 Emotional Support Line, 1-866-399-8938, provides 24/7 free and confidential assistance to callers needing emotional support or resource information as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emotional Support Line is staffed by volunteers, including mental health professionals and others who have received training in crisis counseling.

An excellent, new, comprehensive resource from CADCA:

Cannabis the Current State of Affairs



Click Here to read the 16 page publication.

Supported in Part by the:

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

The Doctor Is In:

Answering Your Marijuana Questions

The Nation's Doctor, VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., answers top questions about marijuana. The U.S. Surgeon General addresses marijuana-related questions he often receives including those related to the chemical composition and potency of today’s marijuana, associated risks, and what parents and teachers can say to young people about marijuana.

Animated Marijuana Prevention Video for 8 to 12 year olds (2 minutes long)

Please right click here, and choose "save link as", to download the 2 minute animated video “Is Marijuana Really Medicine” designed to be shown in community and faith-based settings as well as at home by parents of young children.



30 Second Silent Counter-ad Video On What The Marijuana Industry Isn’t Telling Us

Click Here to download this video >> Marijuana and Opioids - A Link We Can't Ignore





Unless you want a Pot Shop in your hometown like the one above

also called a “Medical Cannabis Dispensary”

and Pot Fields growing in Georgia contact the Lt. Governor and

Senator David Shafer ASAP. Click Here for more details.





Sally's son, Andy, committed suicide after becoming addicted to marijuana. In his suicide note, he said "Marijuana killed my soul and ruined my brain."



The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado The Impact Vol. 6

(Last Updated: 09/17/2019)



The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) program has published annual reports every year since 2013 tracking the impact of legalizing recreational marijuana in Colorado. The purpose is to provide data and information so that policy makers and citizens can make informed decisions on the issue of marijuana legalization.

Section I: Traffic Fatalities & Impaired Driving

Section II: Marijuana Use

Section III: Public Health

Section IV: Black Market

Section V: Societal Impact Read the Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado The Impact Vol. 6 Report

Death of 11 Month Old



This Case Report is from the Denver Health and Hospital Authority and the University of Colorado School of Medicine regarding the death of an 11 month old which the authors conclude was almost certainly attributable to cannabis exposure. Currently THC oil may be legally administered in Georgia to infants, babies, toddlers and children who have a qualifying medical condition. Click Here to read the report

Downloadable Marijuana Counter Advertising Infographics



Please download and distribute free, downloadable counter-ad from Let’s Be Clear GA. Please contact Dr. Raduka at admin@clearga.org if you would like to put your organization’s logo on the infographic.

Chronic State - How Marijuana Normalization Impacts Communities

Idaho is surrounded by marijuana-legalized states. DrugFree Idaho has implemented a marijuana education campaign including billboards, TV commercials, and radio commercials using data from legalized states. The largest part of this campaign has been the documentary they filmed and released this summer. The film crew visited surrounding states to get stories from key informants on the outcomes their state has experienced following legalization. They have shown this documentary in high school health classes, with school counselors, principals, and other staff. Outside organizations have also used the documentary in educational settings so they are sharing their documentary in case anyone may find it useful. Please click here to watch/use the documentary, Chronic State.

National Safety Council States That “No Level of Cannabis Use Is

Safe Or Acceptable” For Safety-Sensitive Positions

The National Safety Council, a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities through leadership, research, education and advocacy, published a Position/Policy Statement on October 21, 2019 addressing cannabis (marijuana) impairment in safety-sensitive positions. NSC stated that “it is clear that cannabis impacts psychomotor skills and cognitive ability,” and concluded that “there is no level of cannabis use that is safe or acceptable for employees who work in safety-sensitive positions.” (“Safety-sensitive” refers to jobs that impact the safety of the employee and the safety of others as a result of performing that job).



NSC stated that cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit substance worldwide. According to a 2018 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, employees who tested positive for cannabis had:



55% more industrial incidents

85% more injuries

75% greater absenteeism compared to those who tested negative. Read the entire article >

Drugged Driving Arrests and Crash Numbers Continue to Climb in Ohio

5 minute news video from Ohio featuring a mother who lost her daughter to a driver impaired from Marijuana (THC). 1/3 of the Drugged Driving arrests in OH last year were due to Marijuana (THC). The Video also features a Drugged Driving Summit sponsored by Triple A (AAA). Power point shown at Let’s Be Clear Town Hall Meeting on

THC, Marijuana, and Driving Stoned, January 16, 2019.

Click here to view the presentation. Report Rank-ordering Georgia's Public School Systems in Terms of

Student 30 Day Use Of Marijuana

Download Dr. Young's Report: 2019 Updated Report At the request of Let's Be Clear Georgia, Dr. Henry Young with the University of Georgia's College of Pharmacy, issued a report rank-ordering Georgia's public school systems in terms of student 30 day use of marijuana (6th - 12th grades). Dr. Young’s 2019 Report contains GA Student Health Survey 2.0 data from 2016 to 2019 (GSHS 2.0).



Of interest were the 5 school systems with the highest 30 day prevalence percentages. The school system ranked #1 is in metro Atlanta. County school systems ranked #2, #3 and #5 are all in middle Georgia. School system #4 is located in southwest Georgia. If you live or work in the area served by one of these school systems, please notify them of their ranking. To download Dr. Young's 2019 Report please click here.



Clear does not hold these school systems responsible for such use, but does highly recommend these systems putting marijuana prevention programs in place if they do not already have them. Strategies/Interventions for Reducing Marijuana Use

Stephanie Strutner, MPH, CPSII

Click here to read her full BIO.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) has highlighted three considerations in determining which interventions provide the best fit for a community’s comprehensive prevention plan: Conceptual fit: Is the intervention relevant and logically connected to identified risk factors and outcomes? Practical fit: Is the intervention appropriate given the culture of a particular community, taking into account community readiness, the community’s population, and general local circumstances? Strength of evidence: Is there sufficient documented evidence to support the strategy’s efficacy? Click here to read the current document which summarizes the strength of evidence found in the literature for strategies that may affect the initiation, escalation and consequences of marijuana use. Click here to view Mrs. Strutner's 2018 Let's Be Clear Georgia Annual Prevention Summit presentation.



4-Year Follow-up Study Finds that Participants Who Used Cannabis for Chronic Non-cancer Pain had a Greater Pain Severity Score Compared with People with No Cannabis Use



CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE Findings: 1514 participants completed the baseline interview and were included in the study from Aug 20, 2012, to April 14, 2014. Cannabis use was common, and by 4-year follow-up, 295 (24%) participants had used cannabis for pain. Interest in using cannabis for pain increased from 364 (33%) participants (at baseline) to 723 (60%) participants (at 4 years). At 4-year follow-up, compared with people with no cannabis use, we found that participants who used cannabis had a greater pain severity score (risk ratio 1·14, 95% CI 1·01–1·29, for less frequent cannabis use; and 1·17, 1·03–1·32, for daily or near-daily cannabis use), greater pain interference score (1·21, 1·09–1·35; and 1·14, 1·03–1·26), lower pain self-efficacy scores (0·97, 0·96–1·00; and 0·98, 0·96–1·00), and greater generalised anxiety disorder severity scores (1·07, 1·03–1·12; and 1·10, 1·06–1·15). We found no evidence of a temporal relationship between cannabis use and pain severity or pain interference, and no evidence that cannabis use reduced prescribed opioid use or increased rates of opioid discontinuation.

Big Marijuana Moves to Exploit the Opioid Epidemic



Big Marijuana moves to exploit the opioid epidemic pushing false/dangerous narrative of marijuana as antidote to opioid crisis Drug Free America Foundation is sending a letter to legislators in states where the marijuana lobby is pushing a false and dangerous narrative that marijuana is an antidote to the opioid epidemic confronting the United States. Medical experts, in fact, say the opposite is true.



The National Institute on Drug Abuse analysis found that marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of prescription opioid use. “Respondents to the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions reported past-year marijuana users in their initial interview had 2.2 times higher odds than nonusers for having a prescription opioid use disorder and 2.6 times greater odds of abusing prescription opioids,” said Calvina Fay, executive director of Drug Free America Foundation. Read More >>



Legislation and Policy Influence



While both Let’s Be Clear Georgia and Let’s Get Clear Georgia engage in policy education, should you be interested in more direct ways to influence legislation and policy please visit LetsGetClear.org for more information.

Augusta Chronicle: Letter to the Editor



Medical marijuana a witches brew of urban legend

As the cultural sands dramatically shift in America we are witnessing a halting, erratic movement toward the legalization of marijuana. Unfortunately, the medical profession is being drawn into the middle of this controversy. This is not good. The vehicle used to entrap the medical profession in this culture war is the application of “medical marijuana.” Beware! This is not a scientifically produced, carefully controlled medication extracted from a plant. Read More >>

Beware! This is not a scientifically produced, carefully controlled medication extracted from a plant.

Craig Kerins, M.D. - Retired Orthopedic Surgeon

Bertha K Madras, PhD

Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School View the CADCA National Leadership Forum Keynote Presentation Now Bertha Madras, PhD, Professor of Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, presented at CADCA's National Leadership Plenary. Dr. Madras discussed the importance of using science to inform the public about marijuana's harm. "This is not a war on drugs. It's a defense of our brains," she said during her popular keynote. Source: Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)



Collaborative Brochure



Click Here to learn more about the Let's Be Clear Georgia collaborative efforts by downloading our Let's Be Clear Georgia Collaborative Brochure.



Marijuana In The News



Medical Marijuana Ads May Spur Teen Pot Use

News Source: HealthDay

Link: https://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/marijuana-news-759/medical-marijuana-ads-may-spur-teen-pot-use-733955.html This news is related to: Marijuana advertising, marijuana billboards, marijuana magazine ads, and marijuana signage in stores



Marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of prescription opioid misuse and use disorders via @NIDAnews

News Source: NIDA News

Link: https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2017/09/marijuana-use-associated-increased-risk-prescription-opioid-misuse-use-disorders#.WoRekhU4tBU.mailto This news is related to: Marijuana use associated with an increased risk of prescription opioid misuse



Common Myths About Marijuana



Teens

Workplace

Driving

Medicine



MENTAL Health



Marijuana VS Cannabis

MYTH: MARIJUANA DOES NOT HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE BRAIN

Any drug that enters the brain has the potential to affect normal brain development. Marijuana is no exception. When marijuana is used, its active ingredient, THC – the strength of which has grown exponentially in the past few decades – alters perceptions and mood, impairs coordination, creates difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and disrupts learning and memory. Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse http://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/drugfactsmarijuana2014.pdf, January 2014

Image Source: The Journal of Neuroscience http://jn.sfn.org/press/April-16-2014-Issue/zns01614005529.pdf, April 16, 2014



MYTH: MARIJUANA WILL NOT EFFECT MY WORK PERFORMANCE

Much like with alcohol, use of marijuana can have negative impacts on productivity and safety, with negative consequences for employers and other employees. Workers who smoke THC are more likely than their coworkers to have problems on the job, including increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers compensation claims, and turnover. Source: Susan Blank, M.D. Atlanta Healing Center LLC, Georgia School of Addiction Studies, August 26, 2014. Zwerling, C.; Ryan, J.; and Orav, E.J., The efficacy of pre-employment drug screening for marijuana and cocaine in predicting employment. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1990 Nov 28;264(20):2639-43.



MYTH: MARIJUANA WILL NOT EFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO DRIVE

Marijuana doubles your risk of a car crash because it significantly impairs judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time. Source: Hartman R.L., Huestis MA. Cannabis effects on driving skills. Clinical Chemistry. 2013;59:478-492. http://www.clinchem.org/content/early/2012/12/06/clinchem.2012.194381.full.pdf

MYTH: MARIJUANA IS MEDICINE

Components of marijuana may have medicinal value, but smoked marijuana has never met the requirements to be labeled a medicine. Just like we don’t smoke opium to get the effects of morphine, we do not need to smoke marijuana to derive its possible medical benefits. Source: Institute of Medicine, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, 1999, National Academy Press.

MYTH: MARIJUANA WILL NOT EFFECT MY HEALTH OR CAUSE A DISEASE

Epidemiological studies have shown that as the frequency of marijuana abuse increases, so does the risk for a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia. Source: Moore TH, Zammit S, Lingford-Hughes A, et al. Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: A systematic review. Lancet 370 (9584):319–328, 2007. MYTH: MARIJUANA IS A STREET DRUG AND CANNABIS IS A MEDICAL PRODUCT

The Marijuana that is being sold on the street and the Cannabis being discussed for legalization in the news is in fact the same exact plant. Marijuana/Cannabis is classified by the DEA as a Schedule I drug which is a substance, or chemical which has been defined as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

Some examples of Schedule I Drugs are: Heroin, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Marijuana (Cannabis), 3,4-MethyleneDioxyMethamphetamine (Ecstasy), Methaqualone, and Peyote Source: United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Drug Scheduling - http://www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml

Source-Verified Educational Tracks/Talking Points



#1 - Marijuana and Addiction

#2 - MARIJUANA AND THE TEEN BRAIN

#3 - SMOKED MARIJUANA IS NOT MEDICINE



#4 - Marijuana, CBD, Hemp and Other Terms



#5 - The business of marijuana



#6 - Marijuana and In-State Cultivation



#7 - Marijuana and Chronic Pain



#8 - Marijuana ANd the workplace



#9 - Marijuana and driving



#10 - Marijuana and Perception of Harm

Marijuana and Addiction

Drug addiction is a disease of the brain that compels a person to become singularly obsessed with obtaining and abusing drugs despite their many adverse health and life consequences.

Learn More Marijuana and the Teen Brain

Human brains begin functioning long before they are fully developed. We begin experiencing the world and develop our sense of identity with very immature brains unable to understand abstract reasoning or the realistic consequences of our actions. At puberty the brain undergoes a stunning growth of new connections and the brain continues to grow and undergo important development until the age of 25.

Learn More Smoked Marijuana Is Not Medicine

Marijuana may have medical components, but no medicine is smoked. Similar to the way opium is used medicinally (through medicines like Morphine), non-smoked marijuana may also be found to have medicinal properties. But smoked marijuana has never passed the scientific tests necessary to label it as a medicine. There are certain drugs already approved in the US (e.g. Marinol) and abroad (e.g. Sativex) that contain medicinal ingredients found in marijuana, however...

Learn More Marijuana, CBD, Hemp and Other Terms

“Cannabis sativa” is the Latin name used in biology for the marijuana plant. It has been cultivated as a source of fiber, oil and food, and for its medicinal and intoxicating properties. Selective breeding has produced cannabis plants for specific uses, including high-potency marijuana strains and hemp for fiber and seed production.

Learn More The Business of Marijuana

There is no reason to think laws limiting marijuana to adults will be any more successful than comparable laws for cigarettes or alcohol. Legalization will likely increase the already substantial proportion of teens that use marijuana regularly and thus put themselves at a competitive disadvantage in school and life.

Learn More Marijuana and In-State Cultivation

Federal law makes it illegal to grow marijuana. The penalties for growing marijuana depend on whether you are charged under Federal or State law, which largely depends on the amount of marijuana you are growing and if other crimes are involved.

Learn More Marijuana and Chronic Pain

Everyone feels pain differently and nobody can know what somebody else's pain is like. This can make it difficult to define and prescribe proper pain medications. The word chronic, however, refers to the persistence of pain lasting for more than three months and generally remaining after an injury has healed.

Learn More Marijuana and the Workplace

Workers who smoke THC are more likely than their co-workers to have problems on the job, including increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers compensation claims, and turnover. Workers who had positive pre-employment drug screens had 55% more industrial accidents, 85% more injuries, and 75% increase in absenteeism.

Learn More Marijuana and Driving

“The effects of specific drugs of abuse differ depending on how they act in the brain, but all impair faculties necessary for the safe operation of a vehicle. These faculties include motor skills, balance and coordination, perception, attention, reaction time, and judgment. Even small amounts of some drugs can have a measurable effect on driving ability.”

Learn More Marijuana and Perception of Harm

"Youth who perceive marijuana use to be risky are less likely to use drugs than youth who perceive marijuana as non-risky." According to Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “The number of teens that perceive the use of marijuana as dangerous, whether it is occasional or regular, is going down. We have seen a pretty significant change over the past 5 years that less and less kids are viewing the use of marijuana as harmful.” As perceived harm of marijuana drops, use goes up. Learn More

#11 - How and Why the Marijuana Industry Targets Youth

#12 - Marijuana and Potency

#13 - MARIJUANA AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

#14 - Marijuana and Pregnancy

#15 - MARIJUANA AND MENTAL HEALTH



#16 - MARIJUANA AND MOTIVATION



#17 - Marijuana and life outcomes



#18 - Marijuana and the criminal justice system

#19 - Marijuana and Treatment

#20 - Marijuana Effects on the Heart and Lungs How and Why the Marijuana Industry Targets Youth

It’s important to know as much as possible about “Big Tobacco” and teenage smoking patterns and attitudes to in order to understand why the marijuana industry, like the tobacco industry, also targets youth. According to Phillip Morris, “Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while in their teens . . . it is during the teenage years that the initial brand choice is made. Learn More Marijuana and Potency

The average potency of THC in marijuana has significantly increased since 1983.1 Today’s marijuana is 300%-800% more potent than the marijuana of years ago. This is not the same “Woodstock weed” that baby boomers and Generation Xers used. Testing by labs is finding that Marijuana is far more potent than the 4% it used to be in the 1980s. Current potency values have been documented up to 36% THC.

Learn More Marijuana and Educational Outcomes

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, studies show that marijuana use interferes with attention, motivation, memory and learning. Students who use marijuana regularly tend to get lower grades and are more likely to drop out of high school than those who don’t use. Learn More Marijuana and Pregnancy

Heavy use of marijuana – that is, marijuana with high amounts of THC – has been linked to decreased fertility in both men and women. In females, there is evidence that marijuana use may disrupt the menstrual cycle. In males, marijuana is thought to decrease sperm quality and testosterone levels. It is also thought to decrease the ability of sperm to move quickly and has been linked to sperm abnormalities. These factors can make it difficult for a woman to become pregnant. Learn More Marijuana and Mental Health

There have been a number of studies that have explored the link between marijuana use and mental health symptoms. Findings in these studies have connected chronic marijuana use and mental illness. In sufficient doses, marijuana can cause psychosis, a state of mind characterized by the inability to distinguish between what is real and what is not. Learn More Marijuana and Motivation

Young people who smoke marijuana may be at risk of “major” changes to the area of the brain that regulates motivation, a new 2014 study by Harvard University and Northwestern Medicine claims. In the study, brains of 40 young adults were scanned (half were non-users and half reported smoking for 1-6 years and showed no signs of dependence).

Learn More Marijuana and Life Outcomes

Heavy use of marijuana can have long-term consequences on life. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that heavy marijuana smokers suffered damage to social life, education, employment and careers as well as physical damages to their brains and bodies.

Learn More Marijuana and the Criminal Justice System

In 1980, the Georgia General Assembly passed a medical marijuana law, but it was never implemented. Since 1996, 20 states and Washington, DC have passed laws allowing smoked marijuana to be used for a variety of medical conditions. Some of those states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. It is important to recognize these state marijuana laws do not change the fact that using marijuana continues to be an offense under Federal law.

Learn More Marijuana and Treatment

Marijuana remains the most widely used illicit substance in the United States. Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction; that is, people have difficulty controlling their drug use and cannot stop even though it interferes with many aspects of their lives.

About 9% of adult users become addicted to marijuana and that number increases among those who start young and among people who use marijuana daily. One in six adolescents who try marijuana get addicted. Learn More Marijuana Effects on the Heart and the Lungs

Marijuana affects the heart. The heart rate is raised 20-100% shortly after smoking, an effect which can last up to three hours and put users at an increased risk of heart attack. In one study, it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8 - fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug. This risk may be greater in older individuals or in those with cardiac vulnerabilities. Marijuana smoke is an irritant to the lungs, and frequent marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems experienced by people who smoke tobacco.

Learn More

Study Finds One in Six Children Hospitalized for Lung Inflammation Test Positive for Marijuana Exposure in Colorado A new study found that one in six infants and toddlers admitted to a Colorado hospital with coughing, wheezing and other symptoms of bronchiolitis tested positive for marijuana exposure. Click Here to learn more.



National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws The National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws (NAMSDL) has updated its report on State medical marijuana legislation. The report summarizes ongoing and future efforts to regulate medical marijuana at the State level. The updated medical marijuana report follows last week’s updates on follow-up, decriminalization, and personal non-medical use marijuana legislation.



To read the medical marijuana legislation report Click Here

To read the “follow-up” legislation report Click Here

To read the decriminalization report Click Here

To read the personal non-medical use report Click Here

American Epilepsy Society Position on Medical Marijuana



The American Epilepsy Society, is the leading organization of clinical and research professionals working to advance and improve the treatment of epilepsy through the promotion of research and education for healthcare professionals. Society membership includes epileptologists and other medical professionals, allied healthcare professionals, and scientists concerned with the care of people who have seizure disorders

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Committee on Obstetric Practice - Committee Opinion



Cannabis sativa (marijuana) is the illicit drug most commonly used during pregnancy. The self- reported prevalence of marijuana use during pregnancy ranges from 2% to 5% in most studies. A growing number of states are legalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes, and its use by pregnant women could increase even further as a result. Because of concerns regarding impaired neurodevelopment, as well as maternal and fetal exposure to the adverse effects of smoking, women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue marijuana use. Obstetrician–gynecologists should be discouraged from pre-scribing or suggesting the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation. Click here to download a free copy.



Preliminary Findings Demonstrating Latent Effects of Early Adolescent Marijuana Use



Among early-onset users, continued years of Marijuana use and current Marijuana consumption were associated with thicker cortex, increased (GWR) Gray–white matter ratio and decreased (LGI) local gyrification index. Late-onset users exhibited the opposite pattern. This divergence was observed in all three morphological measures in the anterior dorsolateral frontal cortex. Conclusions: Divergent patterns between current MariJuana use and elements of cortical architecture were associated with early Marijuana use onset. Considering brain development in early adolescence, findings are consistent with disruptions in pruning. However, divergence with continued use for many years thereafter suggests altered trajectories of brain maturation during late adolescence and beyond. Click here to download a free copy of the Early Adolescent Marijuana Use study.



The State of Marijuana Use in Georgia:

A Secondary Needs Assessment



The State of Marijuana Use in Georgia: A Secondary Needs Assessment -Issued by the School of Public Health, Georgia State University, June, 2015. Click Here to download a free copy.



Dr. Madeline Meier Responds to Latest IQ and Marijuana Studies



Dr. Madeline Meier, Professor at Arizona State University, commented on two studies regarding IQ and marijuana use. Dr. Meier stands firm by her previous research showing an up to 8-point reduction in IQ among heavy marijuana users. Click ﻿H﻿ere to download a free copy.



Georgia Recreational Marijuana Educational Study



This is a Georgia study regarding voter opinion as to whether recreational marijuana should be legalized in Georgia – issued by Bason Research. Click here to download a free copy.





The Marijuana Project



Issued by Aegis Sciences in 2015, The Marijuana Project is a clinical rebuttal of the deceptive and often contradictory marketing narrative of the marijuana special-interest groups. It is a succinct resource in booklet format of peer-reviewed literature with an appropriate combination of scientific and medical documentation. Click here to download a free copy.





Is It Safe To Smoke Marijuana While Pregnant?



Rumors abound that marijuana has no effect on the unborn child, and that it is safe to smoke while pregnant. But research has shown that marijuana use by a mom can cause numerous adverse effects on newborns and growing children. Some effects can linger into adulthood.

Click here to learn more.



Marijuana Policy Strategy



Kenneth Stroup, founder of NORML "We [NORML*] are trying to get marijuana reclassified medically. If we do that (we'll do it in at least 20 states this year for chemotherapy patients) [we] will be using the issue as a red herring to give marijuana a good name. That's our way of getting to them . . . "

Source: Quote from Kenneth Stroup, founder of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) from an interview with him which appeared in the Emory Wheel student newspaper on Feb. 6, 1979 (pp. 18-19). Georgia passed its first marijuana law in 1980.

Policy Education Resources

Policy Education Tips

Download PDF Talking Points

Download PDF Forms of Advocacy

Download PDF

Learn more about the Let's Be Clear Georgia collaborative efforts by downloading our Collaborative Brochure and Marijuana Mantra Brochure



Collaborative Brochure

Download Full Document Marijuana Mantra Brochure

Download Full Document

Marijuana News Archive

Let’s Be Clear Georgia was mentioned in a recent NBC News article

Source: NBC News

Link: https://clearga.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/NBC-News-Mentioned-Lets-Be-Clear-GA.pdf This news is related to: Marijuana Legalization, Marijuana Debate, Growing Medical Marijuana in Georgia

Medical Marijuana Panel Rejects Georgia Grow

Source: The Telegraph - Politics & Government

Link: http://www.macon.com/news/local/politics-government/article48861950.html This news is related to: Marijuana Legalization, Marijuana Debate, Growing Medical Marijuana in Georgia

Why Ohio voted against legal marijuana — and what it means for the future of the pot debate.

Source: The Washington Post

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/03/ohio-rejected-legalizing-marijuana-what-that-means-for-the-future-of-pot/ This news is related to: Marijuana Legalization, Marijuana Debate, Rejecting Marijuana Legalization

The case against Colorado's pot law - Supreme Court case Nebraska and Oklahoma vs. Colorado

Source: Los Angeles Times

Link: ﻿http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0625-bolitho-colorado-preempt-20150624-story.html This article is related to: Loretta Lynch, U.S. Supreme Court, Marijuana Use, Marijuana Laws

Drug Facts Nationwide Trends

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Link: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends This article is related to: Marijuana Use, Teenage Drug Use Statistics, Drug Use Increase HB 1 - Haleigh's Hope Act; Signed by Governor on 04/16/15

Source: Georgia General Assembly

Legislative Summary: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20152016/HB/1

PDF Link: ﻿http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20152016/152355.pdf﻿ This article is related to: Georgia Law, Haleigh's Hope Act, Marijuana Law, HB 1 This is what pot does to the teenage brain

Source: Time

Link: http://time.com/3100613/pot-harms-teenage-brain/ This article is related to: Teenage Marijuana Use, Addiction, Youth Neurocognitive Damage, Brain Development

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Learn More About Nationwide Prevention Efforts



Let's Be Clear Georgia is 1 of more Than 1,000+ Groups nationwide who are Working to Prevent Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Other Drug Use by Youth. To learn more about other groups around the United States click here. If you are in the state of Georgia and would like to contribute your talents or make a donation learn more below.