Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals says marijuana legalization would cause public harm
COBTH cited statistics from pot-friendly Colorado indicating significant public harm following passage of their own legalization measure.
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The Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals has come out in opposition to Question 4 on Massachusetts' November ballot, which seeks to legalize marijuana in the Commonwealth.
The group joined The Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, law enforcement agencies, legislators, members of the business community and other healthcare organizations in opposing the measure.
COBTH cited statistics from pot-friendly Colorado indicating that, after that state legalized marijuana, the number of marijuana-related emergency room visits increased nearly 30 percent, as did the number of traffic deaths related to the drug. According to a statement from the group, Colorado now ranks first in the nation for teen marijuana use, after a 12 percent increase in use between those aged 12-17.
[Also: Medical marijuana yields modest budget benefits for Medicare Part D, study finds]
"The health and safety of Massachusetts residents and the communities we serve have always been a priority for our hospitals," said John Fernandez, president and CEO of Mass. Eye and Ear, and chair of COBTH, in a statement. "Legalizing the recreational use of marijuana carries with it dangerous public health consequences."
The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts countered with an opposing view on its website, stating, "Marijuana is objectively less harmful than alcohol to the consumer and to society -- it is less addictive, less damaging to the body, and less likely to contribute to violent and reckless behavior. Adults who can legally consume alcohol should not be punished simply for using a less harmful substance."
[Also: Massachusetts Medical Society opposes medicinal marijuana]
Among the groups joining COBTH in its opposition to Question 4 are the Massachusetts Hospital Association, Massachusetts Medical Society, the Association for Behavioral Healthcare and the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Mental Illness.
"Massachusetts has made great strides in addressing the opioid epidemic -- our focus should be on continuing that critical work, and legalization of marijuana and the proven adverse public health impacts will only make that job harder," said John Erwin, COBTH's executive director, in a statement.
Twitter: @JELagasse
