Facebook Join My List Logo [[link removed]]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Friend,
The marijuana industry has taken the extraordinary step of exploiting the current
COVID-19 crisis for its own ends. We felt compelled to set the record straight and,
in cooperation with health authorities, release the following guidance on COVID-19
and marijuana.
SAM STATEMENT ON COVID-19 [[link removed]]
COVID-19 has rapidly spread throughout the world and though there is some confusion
about the details of the disease and its spread, one thing is certain: there are
populations within the United States that are particularly vulnerable. Among these
vulnerable populations, reports the National Institutes on Health and National Institute
on Drug Abuse (NIDA), are individuals who smoke or vape marijuana, or have a history
of smoking or vaping marijuana.
Underlying respiratory issues are a serious risk factor for negative outcomes from
COVID-19. NIDA reports that "Because it attacks the lungs, the coronavirus that
causes COVID-19 could be an especially serious threat to those who smoke tobacco
or marijuana or who vape:"

* A report published by the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed
data from China and found that the case fatality rate for COVID-19 was 6.3 percent
for people with chronic respiratory disease, compared with 2.3 percent overall (National
Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020).
* Deaths and serious illness from COVID-19 have been concentrated among vulnerable
populations. NIDA reports, that it "is therefore reasonable to be concerned that
compromised lung function or lung disease related to smoking history, such as chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), could put people at risk for serious complications
of COVID-19."
* NIDA also reports that vaping can harm lung health just as smoking can, and as
such, people who vape can be exposed to increased risk from COVID-19.
* In 2019, the country experienced a vaping crisis in which as many as 2,739 people
were hospitalized and 68 people died (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
2020). The more than 2,700 people who were hospitalized and suffer from residual
complications associated with vaping-related lung illness are at an increased risk
of severe COVID-19.
NIDA concludes: "We can make educated guesses based on past experience that people
with compromised health due to smoking or vaping and people with opioid, methamphetamine,
cannabis, and other substance use disorders could find themselves at increased risk
of COVID-19 and its more serious complications-for multiple physiological and social/environmental
reasons. The research community should thus be alert to associations between COVID-19
case severity/mortality and substance use, smoking or vaping history, and smoking-
or vaping-related lung disease."
Unfortunately, the marijuana industry has taken advantage of the situation. According
to LegiStorm, "the first lobbyist to explicitly register on coronavirus-related
issues is Jack Burkman - a right-wing trickster and conspiracy theorist...who has
recently called for the president to ban coronavirus testing." Burkman is working
on behalf of marijuana industry executive Richard Goulding and registered effective
Feb. 27 for work on unspecified coronavirus "issues" and "treatments."
Furthermore, the Federal Trade Commission warned "There currently are no vaccines,
pills, potions, lotions, lozenges or other prescription or over-the-counter products
available to treat/cure #coronavirus (#COVID19). Coronavirus-related ad claims will
be subject to exacting scrutiny." More on this can be found here: [link removed]
Stay safe,
---
P.S. Think for a minute: If SAM didn't release this, who would? Please consider
donating to support our mission.
Your support will ensure science - not commercial interests and greed - drives health
policies across the country.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forward this email
[link removed]

This email was sent to [email protected] by [email protected].

Update Profile/Email Address
[link removed]


Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM)
[link removed]


Privacy Policy:
[link removed]

Online Marketing by
Constant Contact(R)
www.constantcontact.com



SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) | 400 N. Columbus Street | Suite 202 | Alexandria | VA | 22314