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Lynn Silver, MD, MPH
Senior Advisor Public Health Institute Director: Getting it Right from the Start
Alisa Padon, PhD
Research Scientist Public Health Institute Co-Director: Getting it Right from the Start
Lynn Silver, MD, MPH Alisa Padon, PhD Senior Advisor Research - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Lynn Silver, MD, MPH Alisa Padon, PhD Senior Advisor Research - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Lynn Silver, MD, MPH Alisa Padon, PhD Senior Advisor Research Scientist Public Health Institute Public Health Institute Director: Getting it Right from the Start Co-Director: Getting it Right from the Start We declare that we have no
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Getting it Right from the Start: Our Mission
To collaboratively develop and test models of optimal local marijuana policy with the goal of reducing harms, youth and problem use. These models will be based on the best scientific evidence and guided by the principles of protection
- f public health, social equity and safety.
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California’s Prop 64 was a ballot initiative with scant
attention to public health concerns
But it left broad leeway for local control, as did other
states
Window of opportunity to get it right (or at least
better)
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The Project is working in California through:
Qualitative Research Model Laws Legal Analysis Building engagement for action Technical Assistance
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Local regulation of:
The retail interface with the population Marketing Taxation
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Commercial free for all
Free reign to the power and might
- f American
Entrepeneurship and innovation
Grudging toleration Economic 0pportunity with some constraints Start large enough to shift market, but as small as possible, with many constraints from start to limit harm. Learn
Our Approach The regulatory spectrum
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Rapidly expanding panoply of harmful products driven
by investors
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Allow sales to reduce illegal market and drug related incarceration Keep marijuana boring to reduce market growth/youth attraction Correct false perceptions of harmlessness and fight “normalization” Take steps to prevent expansion and diversification of the market - CA produces 10 million pounds and consumes 2 million - there will be huge interest in expanding consumption and hooking youth Learn from tobacco and alcohol experience Promote economic justice but recognize that this economic opportunity comes at a cost that may include negative social impacts in youth like not graduating
- r lower IQ.
Fully use local authority Capture resources for prevention
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Price will be a major determinant of youth use in spite of <21 prohibition Vast evidence from tobacco and youth Consider: Adopt bans on discounting/coupons/happy hour or 2 for 1’s etc., (already used for tobacco and in Sonoma for marijuana) Taxation to increase price over time
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Taxation is allowed locally in CA, and will affect price and reduce youth
- use. It has been highly effective in tobacco control. And it raises money.
Consider:
Local tax, whether city or county Tax per mg THC Using tax in whole or in part to finance Local Wellness Funds
to support prevention and health equity or other social needs (especially given likely loss of federal prevention funding)
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20% for regulation & enforcement 50% for public health 25% to a wellness fund 15% for equity oversight committee 10% for job training 5% for community development
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Marijuana taxation is a viable and promising way to
kickstart and sustainably fund local wellness funds and “backbones” for CACHI sites
Funding from other sources can be “braided” It is a time limited opportunity that should be seized in the
next few months, measures will be on ballot mostly next spring and November, some have passed already
Soda taxes continue to be an alternative approach but this
year and next marijuana may be a winning strategy
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Local marijuana taxes must go to the voters, but that
will happen in most places in 2017-2018 that legalize regardless of what you do
If you want it to go to prevention, consider: Mobilize partners to speak to your supervisors or
city councils now
Create “citizen commissions” Act like tobacco coalitions
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A Board or Council lead initiative will need 66% to be
dedicated in part or in whole to prevention
A citizen initiative placed on the ballot after a new
court decision this month can probably be dedicated with only 50% of voters supporting
Board measures can also use the soda tax model: a
general tax + advisory committee with a clear mandate, but dedicated is better
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Ideally start low and raise over time. A ballot initiative
may be able to authorize a higher cap of 10-15% after x years but assure that it will start lower, for example 4% in first years to achieve shift to legal market
Need to create a model for a wellness fund and clear
statement of purpose and what it will cover
Use of revenue for prevention may be a point of
agreement with the cannabis industry
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We are hoping to have a model ballot initiative written
in the next few months focusing on marijuana taxation to support prevention and upstream investments
The Getting it Right from the Start project and the
California Alliance for Prevention Funding are collaborating on this issue and we hope to be able to provide TA
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Be a voice in your community - Build a strong
community consensus agenda for action
Build collaboration across public health, advisory
bodies, community organizations, health providers, academia, and advocacy coalitions
Build coalitions to support efforts – quickly, modeled
- n tobacco action coalitions
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