Title
A RESOLUTION calling on the Washington state Legislature to act to restrict youth access to edible marijuana products.
Body
WHEREAS, the residents of Washington state have the reasonable right to expect protection for children from access to harmful substances, and
WHEREAS, recent research has determined that marijuana can be harmful to children's developing brains and can be fatally toxic in large amounts, and
WHEREAS, the Washington Poison Center reported a significant increase in marijuana overdoses in 2014 with more than half of cases occurring in children between the ages of thirteen and nineteen, and
WHEREAS, twenty percent of all marijuana-related calls to the Washington Poison Center involved children in King County. By the end of November, forty-three calls reported cases of pediatric marijuana poisoning occurring in children and youth under the age of nineteen, and
WHEREAS, many edible marijuana products available in medical marijuana dispensaries are designed, packaged and advertised in ways that are attractive to youth, including the development of products such as candies, cookies, chocolates and soda and other sugary drinks, and
WHEREAS, edible marijuana products often contain concentrated amounts of Tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, that can exceed the amounts ingested by smoking, and
WHEREAS, many of the edible products that are available in medical marijuana dispensaries do not note concentration of THC or the appropriate serving size on packaging or labels, and
WHEREAS, medical dispensaries are not required to ascertain the age of consumers, and
WHEREAS, legalization of marijuana for adult use in Washington state may have made access to marijuana easier for people of all ages, including access to edible marijuana products, and
WHEREAS, under the provisions of Washington State Initiative Measure no. 502, codified within chapter 69.50 RCW, and Washington Liquor Control Board rules, the sale of edible marijuana products that appeal to children in recreational stores is prohibited, and
WHEREAS, the Washington state Legislature has the authority to regulate both the medical and recreational marijuana industries;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Health of King County:
The Board of Health calls on the Washington state Legislature to ensure that the marijuana industry in Washington state properly safeguards the health and safety of our children and youth, and to align regulation of the medical marijuana industry with the recreational marijuana market in order to provide an equal level of protection to children and youth in both industries.