TEDxMileHigh
Ben Cort: What commercialization is doing to cannabis
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In 2012, Colorado legalized cannabis and added to what has fast become a multibillion-dollar global industry for all things weed-related: from vape pens to brownies and beyond. But to say that we've legalized marijuana is subtly misleading -- what we've really done is commercialized THC, says educator Ben Cort, and that's led to products that are unnaturally potent. In an eye-opening talk, Cort examines the often unseen impacts of the commercial cannabis industry -- and calls on us to question those who are getting rich off of it.
Ben Cort - Author, addiction treatment specialist
Ben Cort focuses on marijuana education and consulting in the substance use disorder treatment field. Full bio
Ben Cort focuses on marijuana education and consulting in the substance use disorder treatment field. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Hey look, if you guys
are anything like me,
are anything like me,
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you have found it harder and harder
to turn around recently
to turn around recently
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without seeing words like "free-range,"
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"farm-to-table,"
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"organically produced,"
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especially here in Colorado.
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Now, as we've become more conscientious
of the way that we eat in recent years,
of the way that we eat in recent years,
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these once unfamiliar words have worked
their way into our daily lexicon.
their way into our daily lexicon.
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When we started to pay more attention
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to the way that the food we were eating
interacted with our bodies
interacted with our bodies
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and with the earth,
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the food industry had to listen.
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And the results have been really powerful.
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Now, those of you out there
from states like Washington and Oregon
from states like Washington and Oregon
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and, of course, my fellow Coloradans --
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(Cheers)
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y'all know what I'm talking about.
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Because this is not ...
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Words like "all-natural" and "homegrown"
are not just being used in our diets.
are not just being used in our diets.
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There's this whole new industry
using this language now.
using this language now.
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You guys know.
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It's weed,
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an industry that taxed a sale
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of about six billion dollars
worth of product in 2016.
worth of product in 2016.
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So what if I were to propose to you
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that some of what you think you know
about this legalized marijuana thing
about this legalized marijuana thing
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could be wrong?
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Listen, I get it --
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talking about issues with legal weed
is a pretty quick way to get uninvited
is a pretty quick way to get uninvited
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from the cool kids' table.
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I know that better than most,
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but I intend to do it anyway.
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First, before I get started, let me
be perfectly clear about one thing:
be perfectly clear about one thing:
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my fight is not against the casual
adult use of marijuana --
adult use of marijuana --
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I don't care about that.
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What I care deeply about
is this new industry
is this new industry
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that is working to convince us
that we are consuming something natural
that we are consuming something natural
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while fixing social ills,
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when we aren't.
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So let's start with
a little bit of Weed 101.
a little bit of Weed 101.
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Cannabis is a plant that grows naturally
and has been used within textiles
and has been used within textiles
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and even traditional Chinese medicine
for thousands of years.
for thousands of years.
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Genesis 1:12 even tells us:
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"I have given you all of the seed-bearing
plants and herbs to use."
plants and herbs to use."
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It's the microphone -- it's got
a TV preacher sort of thing.
a TV preacher sort of thing.
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(Laughter)
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Now, cannabis is made up of hundreds
of different chemicals,
of different chemicals,
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but two of those chemicals
are by far the most interesting.
are by far the most interesting.
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That's CBD and THC.
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CBD is where almost all
of the medicinal properties lie.
of the medicinal properties lie.
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It's an incredibly fascinating
part of the plant
part of the plant
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with real potential to help people.
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It also is totally nonintoxicating.
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You could take a bath in the stuff
while vaping pure CBD
while vaping pure CBD
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and drinking a CBD smoothie,
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and you still couldn't get high.
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(Laughter)
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I've tried.
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(Laughter)
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I haven't, I haven't.
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That'd cost a lot of money.
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(Laughter)
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Now, for as interesting and remarkable
a part of the plant as CBD is,
a part of the plant as CBD is,
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it actually makes up a really tiny portion
of the commercial market.
of the commercial market.
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The real money is being made
in that other chemical --
in that other chemical --
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in THC.
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THC is the natural part of the plant
that gets you high.
that gets you high.
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And before the 1970s,
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cannabis contained less than half
of a percent of THC.
of a percent of THC.
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That's what's naturally occurring.
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Over the last 40 years,
as we became better gardeners, that --
as we became better gardeners, that --
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(Laughter)
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that percentage of THC started
to slowly but steadily rise,
to slowly but steadily rise,
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until recently, when the chemists
started to get involved.
started to get involved.
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So these guys moved grow cycles --
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sorry -- these guys moved cultivation
exclusively indoors,
exclusively indoors,
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and they made grow cycles
extremely and unnaturally short.
extremely and unnaturally short.
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They also started to use
pesticides and fertilizers
pesticides and fertilizers
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in some ways that we
should be concerned with.
should be concerned with.
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In fact, I was recently talking to a buddy
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who had just left a job
at a commercial grow operation
at a commercial grow operation
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because he was so concerned
with the chemicals
with the chemicals
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that he was being asked to interact with.
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Some of his fellow employees
were actually encouraged
were actually encouraged
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to wear hazmat suits
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while they were spraying
the chemical cocktails on the plants.
the chemical cocktails on the plants.
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With that kind of manipulation,
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the products that are being sold today
can contain above 30 percent THC.
can contain above 30 percent THC.
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And our concentrates --
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our concentrates can actually contain
above 95 percent THC --
above 95 percent THC --
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a far cry from the natural plant.
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Listen, this isn't your grandpa's weed.
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(Laughter)
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This isn't your dad's weed.
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Like, this isn't even my weed.
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(Laughter)
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If you've ever set foot inside
one of the thousands of dispensaries
one of the thousands of dispensaries
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that have sprung up in recent years,
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you know that what we're
really selling in them is THC.
really selling in them is THC.
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All of the weed that you buy commercially
lists exactly how much THC it contains,
lists exactly how much THC it contains,
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as do our other,
much more popular products
much more popular products
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like vape pens, coffee, ice cream,
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condiments, granola, gum, candy,
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baked goods,
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suppositories.
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(Laughter)
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And, of course, lube.
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Pretty much -- no, for real --
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(Laughter)
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pretty much anything that you can imagine
introducing into the human body.
introducing into the human body.
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The vast majority of cannabis
that's being sold today --
that's being sold today --
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it isn't really cannabis.
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It's THC in either a pure form
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or in an extremely high
and unnatural concentration.
and unnatural concentration.
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To say that we have legalized weed
is subtly misleading.
is subtly misleading.
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We have commercialized THC.
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And it's happened really quickly.
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Now, the reason why the commercial market
has so rapidly exploded
has so rapidly exploded
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is because there is a hell
of a lot of money to be made
of a lot of money to be made
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in satisfying and increasing
our desire to get high.
our desire to get high.
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And that money is no longer really
being made by the mom-and-pop shops.
being made by the mom-and-pop shops.
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So industry groups and corporations --
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groups like the Drug Policy Alliance,
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the Marijuana Policy Project,
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Arcview Investment,
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the Cannabis Industry Association --
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they've chased out and helped to chase out
a lot of the small-time growers.
a lot of the small-time growers.
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So these cats know that the best way
to continue to profit off of us
to continue to profit off of us
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is if they follow the alcohol
industry's 80/20 rule.
industry's 80/20 rule.
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It's simple -- it's where 80 percent
of the product is consumed
of the product is consumed
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by 20 percent of the consumers --
the problemed users.
the problemed users.
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The wealthy, white, weed lobbyists --
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and seriously, they are almost
all rich, white men --
all rich, white men --
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they know that we will consume
more of what they're selling
more of what they're selling
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if they jack up the potency.
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They also know that we are more than
twice as likely to consume THC regularly
twice as likely to consume THC regularly
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if we earn under 20,000 dollars a year
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than those who earn
over 50,000 dollars a year.
over 50,000 dollars a year.
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In other words, the poorer you are,
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the more likely you are to spend
your money on their products.
your money on their products.
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And in this country, income
and race are highly correlated.
and race are highly correlated.
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One of the reasons we often hear cited
for the legalization of marijuana
for the legalization of marijuana
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is that it will help to stop
the disproportionate incarceration rates
the disproportionate incarceration rates
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among minorities,
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which is something everybody in this room
should be extremely concerned with.
should be extremely concerned with.
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Unfortunately, we don't
have to look any further
have to look any further
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than arrest rates for juveniles
here in Colorado
here in Colorado
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to counter that argument.
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According to the Colorado
Department of Public Safety,
Department of Public Safety,
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since we opened retail in 2014 --
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almost all of which are in poor,
minority neighborhoods --
minority neighborhoods --
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we saw an eight percent reduction
in the arrest of white kids
in the arrest of white kids
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for all weed-related activity.
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Good on 'em.
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During that same time period,
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there was a 29 percent increase
in the arrest of Hispanic kids
in the arrest of Hispanic kids
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for weed-related activity
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and a 58 percent increase in the arrest
of black kids for weed-related crimes.
of black kids for weed-related crimes.
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You guys heard that, right?
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We are actually arresting
more people of color in Colorado
more people of color in Colorado
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than we were prior to commercialization.
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And you're not reading that in the Post.
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Colorado Department of Safety.
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Legal marijuana coming into focus.
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Another big issue that we have
is in school suspension rates.
is in school suspension rates.
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So, schools that are
predominantly white --
predominantly white --
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that is, they have a minority population
of 25 percent or fewer --
of 25 percent or fewer --
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in the first full year of data collection
following commercialization,
following commercialization,
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these schools had a grand total
of 190 drug-related suspensions,
of 190 drug-related suspensions,
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almost all of which are for THC.
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At the same time,
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schools with a minority population
of 75 to 100 percent
of 75 to 100 percent
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had 801 drug-related suspensions,
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almost all of which were for THC.
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When discussing minority populations,
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one that unfortunately often
gets left out of the conversation
gets left out of the conversation
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is the LGBTQ community.
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Members of this community are more
than twice as likely to consume THC
than twice as likely to consume THC
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than those who identify
as heterosexual or cisgender.
as heterosexual or cisgender.
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They also, unfortunately, have
higher rates of mental illness
higher rates of mental illness
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and suicide.
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According to a study published in 2014
called "Going to Pot,"
called "Going to Pot,"
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we see that the unnaturally high levels
of THC found in today's products
of THC found in today's products
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actually compound those issues.
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They make them worse.
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Unfortunately, that seems
to matter very little
to matter very little
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to the folks who are
selling these products,
selling these products,
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because as you just saw,
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clearly, this is a good consumer base.
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Listen, man -- I get it.
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In many circles, legalized marijuana
is too much of a sacred cow to question.
is too much of a sacred cow to question.
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But we need to start this conversation,
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because what's being sold today
is not natural,
is not natural,
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and lobbyists and industry are using
social justice as a smoke screen
social justice as a smoke screen
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so that they can get richer.
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It's been my own journey to sobriety
that led me to begin questioning
that led me to begin questioning
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a lot of what I was seeing;
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that's kind of one of the things
that we're taught to do.
that we're taught to do.
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When I left Boulder
for the Washington, DC, area
for the Washington, DC, area
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at 12 years old,
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I was transported into a world
where the kind of shoes you wore
where the kind of shoes you wore
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mattered more than
just about anything else.
just about anything else.
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And my family was just too poor
to help me play that game.
to help me play that game.
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So I was faced with a pretty real
crisis of identity.
crisis of identity.
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In this new scene where there's more
blacktop than treetops,
blacktop than treetops,
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man, I just didn't know who I was.
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So I smoked weed for the first time
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when I was 13.
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And I loved it.
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(Laughter)
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I instantly found this social group,
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and I also just really liked being high.
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I finally found a way to shut this up.
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I quickly turned to other
drugs and alcohol,
drugs and alcohol,
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and something just woke up
inside of my brain.
inside of my brain.
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I was a daily user
within a couple of months.
within a couple of months.
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My addictive use mirrors
many of the stories
many of the stories
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that I'm sure you've heard before.
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It started out as fun,
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it got scary,
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and then it was just necessary.
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Enough said.
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I got wasted for the last time
on June 15 of 1996.
on June 15 of 1996.
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And I --
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(Applause and cheers)
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Thank you.
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And I've spent the last 21 years
trying to both put my life back in order
trying to both put my life back in order
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as well as trying to find
some peace in this world.
some peace in this world.
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And one of the ways I've done that
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is by working inside of nonprofit
drug and alcohol treatment
drug and alcohol treatment
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for the last 10 years,
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with groups like Phoenix Multisport,
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the University of Colorado Hospital
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and NALGAP --
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the National Association for Lesbian, Gay,
Transgender, Bisexual Treatment Providers
Transgender, Bisexual Treatment Providers
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and their Allies.
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Even after all of my work
on the front lines
on the front lines
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and as a former consumer myself,
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I was shocked and pissed
when I started to see
when I started to see
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what commercialization
was doing to cannabis,
was doing to cannabis,
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because, you see, our hope
for something pure and natural
for something pure and natural
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is making it hard for us to see
what's really going on,
what's really going on,
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and that is that the rich
are getting richer
are getting richer
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on the backs of the poor
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and lying to our faces the entire time.
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(Applause)
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Thank you.
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My friends, once again I fear
that we are allowing industry
that we are allowing industry
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to take advantage of the most
challenged among us
challenged among us
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in order to turn a profit,
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much like we saw with tobacco
and food in years past.
and food in years past.
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So when we told the food industry
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that we understood the impact
our choices were having,
our choices were having,
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and that we demanded better
for ourselves and our families,
for ourselves and our families,
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that industry got into line.
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So is there any reason why we couldn't
demand the same thing from this
demand the same thing from this
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and from future industries who are trying
to get a piece of our paychecks?
to get a piece of our paychecks?
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What if we made these guys answer
some hard questions?
some hard questions?
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What if we held them to a higher standard
than we are right now?
than we are right now?
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Because as it stands,
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for many in our community,
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the grass isn't greener on this side
of commercialization.
of commercialization.
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They've just been sold a bag of goods.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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Jeremy Duhon: I know
this is a sensitive topic
this is a sensitive topic
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but a very important one,
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so thank you for bringing this up
and helping us explore it.
and helping us explore it.
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You know, a lot of folks
are experiencing health benefits
are experiencing health benefits
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from marijuana and cannabis.
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What would you say
to that part of the community?
to that part of the community?
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Ben Cort: I'm actually glad
you brought that up.
you brought that up.
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I think one of the most important things
that we can do right now
that we can do right now
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is to separate out medicinal,
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and especially what's happening
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and some of the advances
that are being made
that are being made
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using parts of this plant and even
some whole-plant medicines,
some whole-plant medicines,
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from the commercial market for THC.
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That's, I think, crucial.
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We've got to stop putting them together,
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and we've got to say, "OK, here's
the part about getting high,
the part about getting high,
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and here's the part about the medicine."
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(Applause)
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JD: So it sounds like your talk
is less about being anti-cannabis
is less about being anti-cannabis
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and more about raising awareness
about aspects of commercialization.
about aspects of commercialization.
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Is that a fair way to put it?
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BC: Yes. So, I am not the anti-weed guy.
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(Laughter)
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I'm the pro-logic guy.
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For me to cast stones --
listen, I'm a drug addict.
listen, I'm a drug addict.
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I don't get to do that,
and I don't want to do that.
and I don't want to do that.
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But what's bothering me
and what's so hard for me
and what's so hard for me
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is to see the way
that we are just embracing
that we are just embracing
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without asking the hard questions,
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when if this was another industry,
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we'd be holding their feet
to the fire on some stuff.
to the fire on some stuff.
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And no, I'm not the anti-weed guy,
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I'm the pro-thought guy.
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So: think.
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I don't even care
if you're smoking when you do it,
if you're smoking when you do it,
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just so long as you're an adult.
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So long as you're an adult,
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just think.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ben Cort - Author, addiction treatment specialistBen Cort focuses on marijuana education and consulting in the substance use disorder treatment field.
Why you should listen
Ben Cort's passion for recovery, prevention and harm reduction comes from his own struggle with substance abuse. Sober since June 15, 1996, Cort has been a part of the recovery community in almost every way imaginable -- from a recipient to a provider to a spokesperson. Cort has a deep understanding of the issues and a personal motivation to see the harmful effects of drug and alcohol abuse minimized.
In 2007 Cort left his position as HR director of a Denver based S&P 500 firm to help start the Colorado-based nonprofit Phoenix Multisport (PM). As an original board member and then their first full-time employee, Cort was instrumental in building the organization, which has received frequent national recognition for their innovative approach to building sober communities around sport and healthy activities.
Following the passage of Coloradro Amendment 64, which outlined a new statewide drug policy for cannabis, Cort was appointed to the Board of Directors of Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) as well as NALGAP (the National Association of Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Treatment Providers and their Allies). Cort's passion about the intersection of recovery and public policy makes him frequent guest in the media.
Cort's first book, Weed, Inc.: The Truth About the Pot Lobby, THC, and the Commercial Marijuana Industry, was released in September 2017. He resigned from his position with the University of Colorado Hospital in their chemical dependency treatment service line in January 2017 to focus on marijuana education and consulting in the substance use disorder treatment field.
Ben Cort | Speaker | TED.com