Providing Culturally Responsive News and Commentary to build Healthy Families and Communities.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Colorado opens up the floodgates-Marijuana is Legalized
On January 4, 2014, Colorado opens Marijuana Dispensaries for sale of recreational marijuana.
“In 2012, Colorado voters approved the sale of recreational marijuana, as did voters in Washington state. But Colorado is the first to have the pot shops up and running under regulations recently established by state and local governments. Colorado voters' approval in effect amended the state's constitution to allow for the retail sale of recreational pot. The state already allowed medical marijuana. In November, Portland, Maine, followed Washington and Colorado's lead and legalized recreational use of the drug, while the Michigan cities of Lansing, Jackson and Ferndale resoundingly voted to let people older than 21 possess an ounce of marijuana on private property.” Reported by CNN News.
The sales of legalized and state regulated marijuana are expected to bring in over $65 million in tax revenues to the state of Colorado. The long lines of people waiting to purchase 1/8th an ounce of high-quality marijuana shows no signs of slowing down.
Governor Markell approved the sale “Medical Marijuana” for specific medical conditions like, PTSD, Hepatitis, Cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's disease ect., but the dispensaries have not yet opened. Sickle Cell Disease Anemia which is a debilitating blood disorder which causes painful crisis due to the body's inability to carry oxygen and nutrients to the body was not listed as an approved medical condition.
"Approved for treatment of debilitating medical conditions in Delaware, defined as cancer, HIV/AIDS, decompensated cirrhosis, ALS, Alzheimer's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder; or a medical condition that produces wasting syndrome, severe debilitating pain that has not responded to other treatments for more than three months or for which other treatments produced serious side effects, severe nausea, seizures, or severe and persistent muscle spasms." ProCon.org-Medical Marijuana
Smoking Cigarette- containing Tobacco or Marijuana-containing Cannabis both contain cancer causing agents (carcinogens) and other matter that increase an inflammatory response in the body.
"It's not just a benign recreational drug that we don't have to worry about," said Dr. Paula Riggs, head of the Division of Substance Dependence at the University of Colorado-Denver medical campus. Others say, legalizing marijuana may lead to greater illegal use by youth, and possibly more traffic accidents and addiction problems.
Clearly, more research studies need to explore these potential public health risks (short-term & long-term) and benefits from recreational and/or medical use.
Whether or not Delaware and other states will decriminalize the use of marijuana is yet to be seen.
Looking for Work-Why not a Paramedic?
Are you unemployed or underemployed in Delaware and looking for a job IN 2014? How about a career as a Paramedic? A Paramedic is a trained medical professional who responds on the scene to emergencies to stabilize a person until they can be treated at a local hospital. Some Firefighters are also trained Paramedics and utilize their skills to provide Basic and Advanced Life Support measures in life threatening emergencies on the scene after 911 call is made.
Delaware Tech Community College offers an Associates’ Degree and the only state program recognized by the Office of Emergency Medical Services. The Department of Labor estimates the number of paramedic jobs is expected to rise 33% in the U.S. and Delaware expects to increase the numbers by 20% by 2020. Training and education also allows for ‘realistic simulated’ classroom experience where students are offered a more hands-on scenarios using high-tech equipment and computerized patients in the training program.
Vice President of Delaware Tech states, ‘paramedic is a demanding field, physically and mentally.’ Are you up for the challenge? Go forth!
News Journal, Saturday, January 1, 2014, “Training life-savers lifelike conditions for students” , Nichole Dobo.
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