Golden Peak Recovery in Denver Publishes New Article That Echos Health Dept Warnings About Marijuana

Denver, Colorado -- Golden Peak Recovery, a leading addiction treatment center in Denver Colorado, has written a new article that echos the statements by the Weld County Health Dept. The Weld County Health Department is raising awareness about the health effects of marijuana use across Colorado by launching a new campaign called “Marijuana is Not Harmless”. Read the article by Golden Peak here.

“We acknowledge Colorado voters legalized recreational marijuana,” said Mark E. Wallace, MD, MPH, Executive Director of the Weld County Health Department. “However, the general public, and especially youth, need to understand that marijuana use is not harmless. There are consequences to driving impaired and using frequent amounts of marijuana.”

A report released by The Rocky Mountain High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) revealed that the number of annual emergency room visits in Colorado related to marijuana increased by 54 percent from 2013 to 2019. The yearly number of hospitalizations also increased by 101 percent.

The report found traffic deaths involving drivers who tested positive for marijuana has more than doubled since Colorado voters legalized the drug in 2012. This is an average of three traffic deaths every three days.

The Weld County “Marijuana is Not Harmless” campaign is primarily using social media and outdoor billboard ads to reach marijuana users.

The Colorado Department of Revenue reported in 2018 that there were over 520 recreational marijuana dispensaries, which is more than twice the number of statewide Starbucks.

Health officials declared that marijuana is not harmless while citing statistics from a drug use fact sheet from the National Institute on Drug Abuse or NIDA.

It also found that compared to those who don’t use marijuana, people who frequently use marijuana report lower life satisfaction, poorer mental health, more relationship problems, and less career success.

The RMHIDTA said that 64 percent of local jurisdictions in Colorado currently have banned medical and recreational marijuana businesses as adult marijuana use in Colorado is 96 percent higher than the national average.

Colorado is the 22nd largest out of the 50 states by population and the 8th largest by land mass. Just like other parts of the country, Colorado struggles with a serious drug overdose problem. The state is affected by the current opioid crisis.

Additionally, heroin overdose accounts for 25 percent of all opioid-related deaths in the state. The rate of Fentanyl poisoning and death is also on the rise.

Although the state has legalized recreational and medical marijuana use since 2014, this drug is creating problems for some people across the state. Marijuana abuse among Colorado’s adolescents is about the same as the national average, which sits at 21.2 percent of Colorado’s younger population. Golden Peak Recovery in Colorado offers its assistance to those who are struggling with not only marijuana addiction but all other types of substance use disorders.

Colorado prioritizes evidence-based treatment to reduce addiction and drug overdose, and this is the same approach Golden Peak Recovery uses in all of its programs.

Addiction treatment is a transformative journey that involves self-discovery and growth. As one of Colorado’s premier treatment centers, Golden Peak Recovery helps clients remain focused on long term sobriety through continued care services including partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP/OP), and aftercare planning.

Contact Golden Peak Recovery today and begin a substance use recovery journey today.