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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Obi-Wan" data-source="post: 234149" data-attributes="member: 709"><a href="https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/standing-against-measure/article_07e329ae-60db-5f09-a010-434c5ec26996.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest" target="_blank">https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/standing-against-measure/article_07e329ae-60db-5f09-a010-434c5ec26996.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest</a>MINOT — Law enforcement and addiction professionals spoke out at a Minot news conference Friday against Measure 3, warning of what they say are dangers of recreational marijuana."This isn't about limiting liberties. It is really about protecting our quality of life," Kristie Spooner said, chairperson of Healthy & Productive North Dakota Against Measure 3. "North Dakotans would do well to step back and look at the experiences of other states – increased substance use, more impaired, drugged drivers on the roads, marketing of edibles to children and teens and thriving black markets. Is that what we want to see in North Dakota?""Growing large amounts, possessing large amounts and selling large amounts of marijuana is not something our state is ready for," Berthold Police Chief Al Schmidt said. He said overall drug trafficking would increase, as would crime and child abuse and neglect."North Dakota is one of the safest places to live, and it's always been something we could be proud of. That could change dramatically when narcotic traffickers and users flood to our state to purchase hundreds of pounds of marijuana. Our traffic fatalities would double. This is shown, because it happened in Colorado," he said, referring to one state that has legalized marijuana.Burke County Sheriff Jeremy Grohs said passage of the measure will make the job of law enforcement officers difficult because it would conflict with federal drug laws that his department also must enforce.It was noted at the news conference that use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under federal law, which prohibits a user from owning a firearm. Providing false information on a firearm application is a felony.Grohs added he has concerns about gang and drug activity."I strongly feel that we are going to end up having issues with the cartels and the large marijuana and drug industries," he said.The bill's author, David Owen of Grand Forks, argued at a Measure 3 discussion in Minot Wednesday that the measure's liberal language discourages any incentive for large, out-of-state interests to come to North Dakota. He said the bill was written to encourage local growers and markets. He also discredited reports of increased traffic fatalities, stating studies reflected poor data or failed to account for other circumstances.Ward County State's Attorney Roza Larson spoke about the measure's requirement to expunge records of marijuana arrests and convictions, stating there's no way to easily locate those records."We have a 30-day deadline to expunge all those records. It's already setting law enforcement agencies and local governments up to fail because we will not be able to meet that 30-day deadline," she said. She added fixing problems in the measure, if passed, before it becomes effective on Dec. 6, would require a special session. A special session in 2016 was estimated to cost $58,000, she said."Measure 3 makes our jobs more difficult," Minot licensed addiction counselor Bob Hayes said. "It will obligate the legislators and other branches of government, as well as employers, schools and business owners, to spend millions fixing the problems created by Measure 3 and its threats to public health and safety."He cited federal statistics showing 4.2 million Americans, ages 12 or older, met the criteria for substance use disorder based on marijuana use.Subscribe to Breaking NewsSIGN UP!* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy."During the time I have worked in the field, I have personally witnessed many individuals who have become addicted to the THC in marijuana and the shattered lives and broken families that have been left behind," Hayes said. "We don't have enough resources in North Dakota to meet the current demand from those suffering from substance abuse disorders, let alone now proposing the legalization of recreational marijuana."Spooner, director of First Step Recovery Center in Fargo, said the THC component in marijuana used to be about 4 percent in the 1990s. Through genetic modification of the plant, it is now more than 21 percent, and extracts can be as high as 99 percent, she said."Not everyone that tries marijuana is going to become addicted, but we know that there's that certain percentage of folks that are – that 9 to 10 percent," she said. "If people start before age 18, that doubles to about 17 percent."As perceived risk of marijuana goes down, use increases, she added."There's been a 65 percent increase in first-time users in Colorado," she said. "Just in September, a study came out that said we have 8,300 new marijuana users every day."Addiction professionals participating in or attending the news conference said they are unaware of studies cited by proponents indicating that marijuana legalization reduces opioid use and can help with drug treatment.Hayes said studies have been contradictory on marijuana, and the National Institutes of Health recently released an article saying there's nothing conclusive. However, he said, he's never read that use of one psycho-active drug discourages use of another psycho-active drug.</blockquote>

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