Medical Marijuana is a Drug, Let's Treat it Like One

Medical marijuana is working its way into state legislative discussions around the country as most and Wisconsin is no exception. Senate bill 363 was introduced in October of last year. While the public hears stories of how medical marijuana can help children with a rare seizure disorder (Dravet syndrome), adults with chronic pain, or people suffering from nausea as a result of cancer therapy, legislators should proceed with caution on how medical marijuana might be legalized here.

SB363 suggests the State of WI Department of Health Services (DHS) establish a registry for persons who use marijuana for medical use, where individuals would be required to submit a signed application, a written certification, and pay a registration fee. The bill would also require DHS to license and regulate non-profit corporations known as “compassion centers” to distribute marijuana and drug paraphernalia. This model is used in other states and includes a list of treatable conditions approved by the DHS.

This model creates a confusing gray area in drug prescription and regulation procedures. Currently, unless a drug is “over the counter,” it must be prescribed by a doctor or other healthcare professional with prescription privileges and distributed by a pharmacy licensed by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. If we want to treat marijuana as a medicine (aka “prescription drug”), then why are we creating a separate system? Enforcing established guidelines already in place for controlled substances with information about active ingredients, dosage, uses, and warnings should suffice.

Additionally, when a person is prescribed a drug for a condition or disease, the prescription is limited and monitored. There are limits on the number of refills, and follow up with the doctor to make sure the medication is treating the symptoms. If a person is prescribed pain medication for surgery recovery or healing after an accident, the patient is carefully supervised because pain medications are often addictive. There should be no exception for marijuana. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is addictive for approximately 10% of recreational users. If marijuana use begins during the teen years, addiction rates rise to 17%.

For those suffering from pain or rare diseases, medical marijuana may indeed be a wonder drug. But it is critically important to regulate marijuana as a drug, especially if the patient or recipient is a child. There is already a process in place to ensure the safety of a drug when made available to the public. Shouldn't medical marijuana be treated the same way? The gold standard for a drug becoming legal is to withstand double-blind, randomized trials.

There are now some clinical trials underway for a strain of medical marijuana used to treat children with Dravet Syndrome. The marijuana strain is being called “Charlotte’s Web” after a girl with the rare disease. If the public is to trust that medical marijuana is truly being used to treat diseases and reduce pain and suffering, and is NOT a backdoor into recreational drug use, then why are we using street drugs as a model for naming conventions? Naming the strain after a children’s book delegitimizes its medical purpose and may appeal to youth.

Proponents of medical marijuana do not favor physician or pharmacy involvement mostly because they have not endorsed medical marijuana in the past. However, just as public opinion is changing, so are attitudes towards medical marijuana within the medical community. Medical marijuana may hold promise and should be studied and regulated like any other prescription drug.

Let's Shatter the Myths About Drug Abuse

Every day, teens are bombarded with conflicting messages that may leave them feeling confused and unsure of who to ask for information about drug use. With 7.4% of teens reporting abuse of prescription drugs in the past year and 22.6% of 12th graders reporting using marijuana in the past month, it’s critical to reach teens with the facts.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is holding the third annual National Drug Facts Week from January 27 - February 2, 2014. Taking part in National Drug Facts Week means you have the opportunity to help shatter the myths about drug use for teens.

Wondering how you can take part? 

• TAKE! 
• the interactive 2014 National Drug IQ Challenge!
• RETWEET!
• our tweets from NIDA!
• LEARN! 
• more. Visit the National Drug Facts Week website!

Winnebago County's Heroin Task Force

Winnebago County has a problem, a heroin problem. But then again, heroin has been sneaking into communities all over the country. Why is this? For us, heroin has been migrating up from Chicago to Milwaukee and taking 41 up to Green Bay, stopping in all communities along the way. Nobody starts off using heroin. A lot of heroin users started abusing prescription pain relievers. While others started with "softer" drugs and moved towards the "harder" drugs.

In 2013, the Oshkosh Police Department, Winnebago Co Health Department, re:TH!NK, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, and Oshkosh Area United Way formed a partnership to address the heroin problem in the county. Thus, the Winnebago County Heroin Task Force was created. The Task Force focuses on a 4 Pillar approach, Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, and Law Enforcement. Each of these pillars created goals and are addressing them on a local level with local resources. 

We cannot arrest our way out of the problem and we cannot force those with heroin addiction into treatment. We need to keep those with addiction safe and meet them where they are at. We also need to understand there is no one size fits all approach to prevention and treatment. The work groups seek out evidence-based programming to address the issues.

The most recent general meeting, on January 15, brought together the Pillar work groups to report their progress. Douglas and Anthony from Rise Together were there to talk about how they overcame heroin addiction and what they are doing for prevention and the recovery community. There was a presentation about 2-1-1, an amazing resource to find assistance for substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and other services. Also, information about a mentoring program from Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh was given by Carlea Learman.

Addressing heroin addiction in Winnebago County will take time and effort. Together we can prevent heroin use and addiction, keep those with addiction safe, and help those who are addicted, get proper treatment.

For more information you can visit the Heroin Task Force's webpage. There are links to the minutes of the general meetings and pillar groups, as well as other information. 

Heroin Task Force Webpage

Rise Together: www.weallrisetogether.org

United Way 211: www.211now.org or call 211

Boys and Girls Club Mentoring: Email Carlea at carleal@bgcosh.org or call 920-233-1414

50th Anniversary of the Surgeon General's Historic Report

On January 11, 1964, the Surgeon General pronounced the health risks posed by cigarettes.
Fifty years ago tobacco ads featuring Fred Flintstone, athletes, and movie starts could be found all over in magazines and on TV. Smoke hung in the air of restaurants, bars, teachers lounges, offices, and airplane cabins. And there'd be a good chance that your family doctor was a smoker too. It's amazing how much we have learned in 50 years about the harms of tobacco products and smoking.

The turning point for tobacco prevention came on January 11, 1964 with the Surgeon General's Report. That Saturday morning, the U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released the official report linking smoking to illness and death - and suggesting the government should do something about it. 

In the decades that followed, warning labels were put on cigarette packs, cigarette commercials were banned, taxes were raised, and new restrictions were placed on where people could light up. 

Wisconsin has seen great progress in reducing tobacco’s burden.

• High school smoking dropped from 33% in 2000 to an all-time low 13% in 2012
• Wisconsin is healthier since the smoke-free law took effect in 2010
• Since the smoke-free air law, bars and restaurants saw a decrease in unhealthy air, bartenders experience a decrease in respiratory health symptoms
• The number of smoke-free homes in Wisconsin also increased from 74% to 80%
• The state’s Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line has fielded more than 200,000 calls

While great strides in tobacco prevention have been made over the last 50 years, tobacco's still a problem in Wisconsin, so we need to stay committed. More than 800,000 Wisconsinites are still smoking, and smoking kills more than 7,000 adults in Wisconsin each year. 

In order to prevent and reduce deaths from tobacco we need to reduce the amount of youth who start using tobacco. Each day about 14 Wisconsin kids become new smokers. Candy and fruit-flavored tobacco products that are more affordable are attracting the attention of our young people. 

Looking like candy, gum, and other products that appeal to youth these products have become much more popular among youth. A new CDC study found that nationally, 40% of youth smokers use flavored little cigars or cigarettes. 

These other tobacco products (OTPs) are harmful and addictive, plus they're marketed aggressively to youth and are inexpensive. The products hook youth early and keep them addicted. The candy and fruit-flavors disguise the tobacco underneath. But using any tobacco product has serious health risks, even if it is coated in candy flavors. OTPs are not safe, not fair, and not good for Wisconsin.


The blog post used info from this USA Today article for more info on the 50th Anniversary of the Surgeon Generals Report. 

Farm 2 School Month

End of September through October has been an exciting time for re:TH!NK and Winnebago County Farm to School. Preparations have been in the works since the beginning of the school year to start off on the right foot. Already we have been on a public access television show, had a local radio station interview, and published articles in a youth magazine. While a lot has been happening, we especially want to highlight three large events within the county focused on different aspects of Farm to School: trying new fresh foods, connecting students to Wisconsin agriculture by promoting local farms, and learning to make healthy meals.

          The first event was a Local Tomato Tasting at Webster Stanley Middle School in Oshkosh School District. Check out our YouTube video about it:
                                                     TomatoTasting at Webster Stanley

          Next, we hosted Fall Fair at Maplewood Middle School in Menasha School District. We partnered with their amazing Chartwells food service team and Apple Blossom Lane Orchard from Black Creek, WI. Farmer Todd Hansen couldn’t have been more supportive throughout the process and donated some amazing decorations to make the school really feel like were at the orchard. We brought in corn stalks, hay bales, large paper leaves to decorate the walls, and tons of squash & gourds for the cafeteria. The event turned into a family affair as the Farmer Todd’s daughter, wife, and mother were all in attendance. They talked about the different apple varieties and helped pass out samples and stickers. That’s right, every student who tried at least one sample received an “I ate local food today!” sticker.

          At the event we had a savory and a sweet section. For the sweet we had four different varieties of apple slices (Empire, Cortland, Honey Gold, and Macintosh) along with an apple salad that consisted of diced apples and celery in a honey yogurt dressing. For the savory we “deconstructed” three bean salsa sampling four different platters of onion, beans, tomato, and bell pepper. We let the students try each ingredient individually and then all together as salsa. This provided a way for students try different fruits and vegetables and see how combinations of flavors work together. While some students were hesitant to try a fresh bell pepper slice, most every student had the salsa. A surprising amount of students came up to try the individual ingredients after they knew they were in the salsa. Making the fresh foods relatable to the kids really made them more willing to try new flavors. Some students really didn’t like the tomato but loved the raw onion; no two flavor palates are the same, it is important to offer a variety of options to help students find a tasty fresh food they really like. We were also able to send students home with a really simple and fun recipe cards to make applesauce at home, a classic snack that is widely accepted among kids.

“Wow, all this is for us?! I feel really special.”-8th grader at Menasha Middle

“I love beans, I have never had them plain before but now I could eat them everyday.”-7th grader at Menasha Middle 

          The last of our events was held on Food Day (October 24th), a nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainable foods. We hosted a chef demo for the 6th grade class at Carl Traeger Middle School in Oshkosh School District. This event allowed us to reach out to our community supporters from the Culinary Arts Program at Fox Valley Technical College. There were approximately 200 youth and staff in attendance. Chef Jason Sargeant came in to teach the students how to make butternut squash soup and gave an informational lesson on different varieties of squash that are available. Cooking is an important part of healthy eating, visits from Fox Valley Technical College student chefs provide a fun way to demonstrate how to cook your own food.

“This soup tastes like pizza!” -6th grader at Carl Traeger   

         Coming up for the month of November we will be focusing on Nutrition Education as we have now identified the majority of students we will be working with in our county. We will also be continuing our Fun Food of the Month program. We can’t wait for the Harvest Medley Blends to come in!