The green rush is bringing hope back to this once-booming coal mining town in rural southeast Colorado, just 11 miles from the New Mexico border, where generations of Mattie's family have lived. Residents pride themselves on the town's pioneer reputation and Wild West spirit.

It's in large part thanks to at least $800,000 in marijuana tax revenue.

Did pot money save small town from 'abyss of nothingness'?

"Youth marijuana use can have lifelong implications. The risks, which include psychosis, suicide, drug addiction and lower IQs, have been reported based on research on much lower THC potencies than are typically sold on Colorado's commercial market," she said.

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The biannual poll by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also showed the percentage of high school students indulging in marijuana in Colorado was smaller than the national average among teens.

Teen marijuana use in Colorado found lower than national average

Kleiman's worst-case scenario is possible, but not likely. Based on existing empirical evidence, we expect that the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington will lead to increased marijuana consumption coupled with decreased alcohol consumption. As a consequence, these states will experience a reduction in the social harms resulting from alcohol use. While it is more than likely that marijuana produced by state-sanctioned growers will end up in the hands of minors, we predict that overall youth consumption will remain stable. On net, we predict the public-health benefits of legalization to be positive.

he results of DiNardo and Lemieux (2001), Crost and Guerrero (2012), and Anderson, Hansen, and Rees (2013) suggest that, as marijuana becomes more available, young adults in Colorado and Washington will respond by drinking less, not more. If nonmedical marijuana states legalize the use of recreational marijuana, they should also experience reductions in drinking with the accompanying public-health benefits.

Below, we discuss the likely effects of legalizing marijuana for recreational use on alcohol consumption, traffic fatalities, substance use among high school students, and other outcomes of interest to policymakers and the public. Our discussion draws heavily on studies that have examined the legalization of medical marijuana. These studies are relevant because, in states such as California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes approaches de facto legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes.

The Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: How Likely Is the Worst-Case Scenario?

Although the mayor blamed recent trouble on “urban travelers” and marijuana, police do not know whether Seeley was on drugs or in the middle of a mental health crisis, Quinones said.

Another video of people behaving badly on the 16th Street Mall led Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to blame marijuana for an increase in “urban travelers” and to renew his message that assaults and other violent behavior will not be tolerated.

Denver mayor says violence won’t be tolerated on 16th Street Mall

CHALLENGES OF EDIBLE MARIJUANA PRODUCTS

While many users feel they have benefited from marijuana legalization in Colorado, there have also been untoward adverse health effects. The risks of use must be consistently communicated through health care practitioners and public health officials, especially for edible products that pose unique risks for exposed adults and children. Ultimately, additional research is needed to quantify the benefits and risks of marijuana utilization so health care professionals can have well-informed discussions with medical and recreational users.

Physicians have the responsibility to present a balanced perspective, identifying both the potential health benefits and risks associated with marijuana use. In this Viewpoint, we discuss the history of marijuana policy in Colorado and the expected and unexpected effects of increased marijuana availability. Other states considering marijuana policy liberalization may learn from the experiences in Colorado.

Andrew A. Monte, MD1,2; Richard D. Zane, MD1; Kennon J. Heard, MD, PhD1,2

The Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Colorado

The abrupt change in treatment entrants, arrests, and changes in poison center calls suggests an important role of policy change. Public health interventions, such as educational campaigns, could be utilized to mitigate negative outcomes. This report, owing to the unique effects over time, can be used as a guide to some of the short-term effects that may be related to marijuana policy changes in other states.

This was records-based research from the state of Colorado and Denver metropolitan area. Data were collected to examine frequency and trends of marijuana-related outcomes in hospital discharges and poison center calls between time periods before and after 2009 and adjusted for population.

Although it is likely more individuals consumed alcohol than marijuana, in 2012, alcohol-related hospital discharges were approximately fivefold higher (623.2 vs 122.2 per 100,000; Colorado Drug and Alcohol Coordinated Data System); emergency department visits where alcohol was a component were 5.6 times higher (984.6 vs 176.2 per 100,000; CDPHE, Colorado Hospital Association Discharge Data Program); and treatment for alcohol dependence entries in 2012 were nearly two times higher (5,631 vs 2,845; Colorado Drug and Alcohol Coordinated Data System).

When taken with changes suggesting a decrease in the perceived risk of marijuana,2, 5 and 6 these factors may mark increased use and increased acceptance of marijuana over this time period, and be important components of deleterious public health outcomes. In addition to an increase in prevalence of marijuana use over this time frame2 and 6 and increases in marijuana-related fatal motor vehicle crashes previously reported,13 this study identified increases in hospital discharges, poison center calls, and decreases in treatment entries and arrests in this time period. These concomitant occurrences suggest important effects that may be related to policy changes.

The public health consequences of the legalization of marijuana, whether for medical or recreational purposes, are little understood. Despite this, numerous states are considering medical or recreational legalization. In the context of abrupt changes in marijuana policy in 2009 in Colorado, the authors sought to investigate corresponding changes in marijuana-related public health indicators.

Jonathan M. Davis, PhD1, , , Bruce Mendelson, MPA2, Jay J. Berkes, BS1, Katie Suleta, MPH1, Karen F. Corsi, ScD1, Robert E. Booth, PhD1

Public Health Effects of Medical Marijuana Legalization in Colorado

In the weeds: a baseline view of cannabis use among legalizing states and their neighboursAuthors

Discussion

Our study has some important limitations. In particular, it drew upon a household population that was predominantly female and had a very small proportion of young users (age < 21), and there were relatively few self-identified medical cannabis users in New Mexico. The fact that the people interviewed were predominantly female is particularly worrisome, given that medicinal users identified in previous studies were predominantly male. Despite these limitations, many of our findings are consistent with those in the literature

We also consider differences in the patterns of use across our four states prior to the opening of legal stores for recreational sales in any of the four states.

Given the racial composition of the states we studied, they were also overwhelmingly white (84% white, 8% Hispanic, 2.1% black, 2.2% other, 3.7% two or more races). More than 60% of respondents were older than 40 years and only approximately 15% were younger than 30. Thus, the sample, although representative of the states of interest, may be limited in providing very detailed views of substance abuse behavior specifically among young adults.

By looking at households across four states, this work can provide a broader understanding of medical and recreational cannabis use [18]. In addition, this paper fills a void in the literature by examining the degree of overlap between medicinal and recreational users, as well as their differential use patterns, modes of consumption and sources for cannabis. Understanding whether and how patterns of use among self-reported medical users differs from that of recreational users, and whether medical and recreational users access cannabis through the same or different sources should help us to understand more clearly the extent to which the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes, and in particular the opening of (non-medical) retail stores, will further change access and use.

Although many states have passed medical cannabis laws, the recent recreational cannabis initiatives mark a dramatic shift in US cannabis policy from the complete outlaw of recreational sales, if not use, to the explicit sanctioning of it. Of particular interest is how these initiatives will affect future recreational and medical cannabis use.

Rosalie Liccardo Pacula,Close author notesCorresponding authorDrug Policy Research Center, RAND, California, CA, USACorrespondence to: Rosalie Pacula, Drug Policy Research Center—RAND, 1776 Main Street, PO Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138, USA. E-mail: pacula@rand.orgSearch for more papers by this authorMireille Jacobson,Close author notesUniversity of California, Irvine - Business School, Irvine, CA, USASearch for more papers by this authorErvant J. Maksabedian

In the 2015-16 world rankings, a more accurate gauge for comparison than the calendar-year lists because it includes Australia’s summer season, three Americans (Ledecky, Lilly King and Josh Prenot) combined for world bests in five of 26 events. Phelps’s 200 butterfly time at these trials did not place him in the top five in the world. Neither did the winning times in the women’s 200 breaststroke, 100 freestyle or 200 butterfly.

Of all Michael Phelps’s feats, this one may be the most remarkable: He has been to four Olympics without once having to perform a skit in front of the other American swimmers.

Donald Drumpf, himself, should run also for vice president. He has told the public that “my primary consultant is myself.” True, this would be a bit unusual. But rather than tie him to hidebound historical precedents, let’s free him to be who he is. It would be just so beautiful.

Your Thoughts on Drumpf’s V.P. (Serious and Snarky)

To gain more data on the auroras, the Hubble Space Telescope has been staring at Jupiter for 45 minutes every day for the past month. At Earth, auroras light up when solar wind particles slam into molecules of air near the polar regions. At Jupiter, the charged particles come mostly from a different source: the volcanos of Io. Jupiter’s powerful magnetic fields then accelerate the particles into the planet’s atmosphere.

As NASA’s Juno spacecraft closes in for its Monday arrival at Jupiter, many other eyes are also staring at the solar system’s largest planet.

After all, no one actually testifies to the 2:36 timing at trial. This comes from the prosecutor’s narrative alone. The problem is, if it is the 3:15 call, that really messes with Jay’s testimony about where they were and what they were doing that afternoon.

No it’s not because they’re saying that’s where the 2:36 call comes from is that pay phone at Best Buy.

“Merkel has basically taken an approach of ‘We shouldn’t rush,’ and is looking at things calmly — which is very much her style,” said Daniela Schwarzer, the director of the Europe program at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin.

The four largest political groups in the European Parliament are planning a motion to urge Britain to leave as quickly as possible and “avoid damaging delay,

LONDON

Plenty of people I talked to said when they heard Jay was wrapped up in a murder, it didn’t surprise them. Adnan, they said no way, shocking. But Jay? Not so shocking. People also said they couldn’t square Jay feeling threatened by Adnan. The dynamic of that just seemed wrong to them.

I wanted to know, from Stella Armstrong, why she voted to convict Adnan Syed. She immediately talked about Jay, that she believed him.

how can it be a strong case and how can he be a great witness if there’s stuff that’s not true, or unexplained.

Nate Krammes Nate Krammes