Colorado Shares Pot Data with Santa Barbara Health-Care Providers
Since Legalization, Adult Use Has Not Increased
Cannabis advocates often claim alcohol is far worse than pot. A public health expert visiting the Central Coast from Colorado last week explained that his state’s data in many ways confirm that perception.
Civic leaders throughout California are optimistic about raking in tax revenues from marijuana businesses after they open next year. But, ironically, alcohol sales do not go directly into county coffers even though, as Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer Dr. Charity Dean explained, “Alcohol abuse is devastating to our society and continues to far outrank cannabis in health impacts and deaths.” (The state collects alcohol tax revenue.)
The conference hosted by the County of Santa Barbara at the Buellton Marriott was packed with public and private health-care providers. What some expected to be a confab bashing recreational marijuana had a noticeably neutral tone. “How many people are in favor of marijuana?” Dr. Larry Wolk, Colorado’s chief medical officer asked, adding jokingly, “the sheriff is looking that way.”
