As we move forward, we plan to continue, working on a framework for the Cannabis Workgroup. The Workgroup will develop a framework around cannabis legalization in NYS, particularly around education (unified messaging, benefits/risks, information). Public Health can use this group to plan how to handle legalization before it happens approach and lay the foundation.
CDC’s Cannabis Fast Facts:

• Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States, with approximately 22.2 million users each month.
• Research shows that about 1 in 10 marijuana users will become addicted. For people who begin using before the age of 18, that number rises to 1 in 6.
• Marijuana use directly affects the brain — specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time. Developing brains, like those in babies, children, and teens, are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of marijuana.
• Eating foods or drinking beverages that contain marijuana have some different risks than smoking marijuana, including a greater risk of poisoning.
• Long-term or frequent marijuana use has been linked to increased risk of psychosis or schizophrenia in some users.
• Using marijuana during pregnancy may increase the baby’s risk for developmental problems.