SB 128-MARIJUANA EDU/TREATMENT FUND/PROGRAM  2:17:23 PM CHAIR WILSON announced the consideration of SB 128 with his intention to hear and hold the bill. 2:19:43 PM SENATOR GIESSEL, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of SB 128, said she knew many people would question the need for another fund. "Well, frankly, Mr. Chairman, I blame the hippies from my generation of the 60s and 70s who raised kids who were led to believe that this Schedule I, hallucinogenic drug was harmless," she said. These people voted to put this drug on the street corners and it is now readily available. The state needs to deal with that. "Those old hippies' grandchildren are at risk," she said, as she sees them in school-based clinics. She said these kids deal with jaw-dropping things. She does screening for depression, suicidal ideation, and drug use. She needs better tools to talk to them about marijuana use. She does not run across kids who smoke because the smoking education fund has worked. She said government should be involved because government "is taking a tax on this tapeworm that is sucking life out of people." This bill takes some of this money to the Division of Public Health to create materials for students and adults. Grants will be available to private sector non-profits to go forth on education and treatment programs funded by taxes collected. 2:22:56 PM SENATOR GIESSEL said the bill is being offered at the request of DHSS. The fund mirrors the Tobacco Use Education and Cessation Fund. The bill counters the message that legal means safe and harmless, a belief that many schoolkids are led to believe, and the message that this is a money-maker for staff coffers. She said the bill allows DHSS to collect data on the use of marijuana, the public attitude and knowledge about this drug and how to protect the cognitive abilities and health of our youth through education, mostly about side effects. This will be done through grants to local organizations. The bill does not specify organizations because the government should not pick winners or losers. Many groups are ready to do this work. 2:24:48 PM JANE CONWAY, Staff, Senator Giessel, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented the sectional analysis of SB 128. Section 1 AS 43.61.010(d) is technical and conforming language that clarifies which fund is being referenced in this section that is about the recidivism reduction fund. Since we are establishing another fund, the Marijuana Education and Treatment Fund in another subsection to follow, Legislative Legal wanted to correctly name which fund is being addressed to prevent any confusion. Section 2 AS 43.61.010 is a new subsection that creates the Marijuana Education and Treatment Fund within the general fund. After receiving tax collected from marijuana sales, the Dept. of Administration shall separately account for and deposit 25% of those proceeds into the Fund, and the legislature may appropriate those monies for the purpose of funding DHSS programs for marijuana use education and treatment. This section specifies that the money in this fund does not lapse. MS. CONWAY noted that Section 3 has minor fixes from Legislative Legal. Section 3 AS 44.29.020(a) contains two minor fixes from Leg Legal that adds the word "the" to (11) of this section, and also the word "to" to item (14). It also adds to this section that DHSS will administer the marijuana education and treatment program by grant or contract out this program to other organizations in Alaska. This section outlines 5 components of the program that must be included: 1. A community-based marijuana misuse prevention component 2. Marijuana public education geared toward prevention of youth initiation of marijuana use, education re: the effects of marijuana use and education re: marijuana laws 3. Survey of youth and adults concerning knowledge, awareness, attitude and use of marijuana products 4. Monitoring of the public's health relating to consequences of marijuana use 5. Provide for substance abuse screening, brief intervention, referral and treatment SENATOR VON IMHOF said the sponsor statement has an estimate of $9 million to be collected in taxes. She asked if a contingency plan is in place if less than 9 million is collected. SENATOR GIESSEL deferred the question to the division. 2:27:46 PM SENATOR BEGICH disclosed a conflict of interest as he works with Portland State University as a trainer and consultant on the Reclaiming Futures Project, which deals with the substance abuse screener referenced on page 3. lines 24 and 25. He could financially benefit from the bill if Portland State University were to win a grant. 2:28:40 PM JAY BUTLER, M.D., Chief Medical Officer/Director, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), presented information on SB 128. He responded to Senator Imhoff's question by stating that the health education component could be very plastic, depending on the assessments of the situation, and he asked for flexibility to focus on "what is rather than what I think it is going to be." DR. BUTLER said the Marijuana Education and Treatment Fund would be similar to the Tobacco Use Education and Cessation fund in terms of how tax revenues are used. Twenty-five percent of the marijuana excise tax would go to the fund. Currently 50 percent goes to the recidivism fund and 50 percent to the general fund. The bill would divide the 50 percent that goes to the general fund between the general fund and the marijuana education fund. He said the overarching goal is statewide coordination between youth prevention, public health and safety, and youth prevention. About 10 percent of marijuana users will be diagnosed with cannabis use disorder, which is similar to alcohol-use rates. The risk is two-fold when regular marijuana use begins in the teen years, so an emphasis is to delay use of marijuana in youth. The top public health and safety risk is driving under the influence of marijuana. 2:33:28 PM DR. BUTLER outlined the five parts to a comprehensive program: • Community-based marijuana misuse prevention, with a focus on youth prevention • Assessment of knowledge and awareness of laws, and use of marijuana products • Monitoring of population health impact related to marijuana use and legalization • Marijuana education • Substance abuse screening, brief intervention, referral, and treatment (SBIRT) He said community-based marijuana misuse prevention is about local efforts to prevent misuse before it starts by mitigating risk factors and enhancing existing programs for public health and education to address substance misuse prevention. He said that the Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that kids in afterschool programs report a lower frequency of marijuana use and initiation. SENATOR MICCICHE said he has been on the board of the Boys and Girls Club for 25 years. He asked what model programs would cost. He wondered if the bill should have a cap on proposed allocations if marijuana revenues continue to increase. DR. BUTLER responded that may be a Finance Committee question. He said that a robust afterschool program may need a larger proportion than exists now. The projections for total marijuana tax revenue is $10 million a year. 2:37:08 PM SENATOR MICCICHE said he still hears from people who think marijuana sales will save the state from its fiscal gap, but he understands that revenue is not expected to grow significantly. SENATOR BEGICH asked what model programs and robustness mean to the department. DR. BUTLER said robust programs have data to show less use. He noted the interest shown to the Iceland model, in which teen substance use has declined dramatically over the last 20 years. The press has simplified the solution to afterschool and sports programs. There also has been a shift in social norms of what is good parenting, as well as regulation. Curfew hours are enforced and alcohol store hours are limited. SENATOR BEGICH said he wanted to focus on afterschool programs. He asked if DHSS would have strict requirements for efficient programs. He does not want to divert money to programs that have no effect. DR. BUTLER said that would be a Request for Proposals requirement. CHAIR WILSON said he thought the initial percentage of allocations by DHSS was lower than 25 percent and asked why it is higher now. 2:41:41 PM DR. BUTLER said that the proposal is not small. The proposal is not as ambitious as in some states, such as Colorado, which has a yearly expert panel on the effect of legalization. DHSS wants to maximize the ability to provide a good public health model to regulate legal, retail marijuana. He said the second component is assessment and monitoring of the following: Assessment of trends in knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and behaviors to address misperceptions and knowledge gaps Monitoring health status and use trends to identify any health or health system effects of legalization Some questions that require answers: • Do youth perceive marijuana as a less harmful substance due to legalization? • Do youth and adults see driving under the influence of marijuana as dangerous? • How has marijuana legalization affected Alaskans' health and safety? 2:44:28 PM DR. BUTLER said the last question may take time to answer. SENATOR VON IMHOF asked if DHSS is working with Colorado and Oregon to compare data, such as the rate of car accident under the influence. DR. BUTLER said states have frequent phone contact and meetings, when possible, with surveillance gurus from the Centers for Disease Control about how to do these assessments in standardized ways. States look to each other for leadership. SENATOR GIESSEL said she has been very interested in the subject of marijuana-impaired driving and in a meeting a month ago, the Anchorage Police Department said they had documented 25 fatal car accidents attributable to marijuana-impaired driving. She suggested he be in contact with them to get the data. DR. BUTLER said marijuana education seemed to be a big void after legalization. Materials will be designed to communicate messages to 1. help prevent youth initiation of marijuana use 2. educate the public about the health effects of marijuana use 3. educate the public about marijuana laws 2:49:32 PM DR. BUTLER said part of the education is needed for health care professionals. Health care professionals may think back to their hippie days when a joint was "half oregano." Now, high-tech horticulture produces marijuana breeds with much higher levels of THC. There are also a wide variety of products: vape solutions, concentrates, edibles, topicals, etc. He said providers need tools for substance abuse screening, brief intervention, referral, and treatment (SBIRT). Use during pregnancy is a concern. The health effects are unknown. Some providers recommend it for morning sickness. He said data on youth use shows that it has been stable over the past ten years. He said adults can help reduce youth marijuana use. Youth with supportive teachers, parent communication, community connections, and afterschool programs report less marijuana use. DR. BUTLER said Alaska can join with Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and California to direct tax funding towards a very rational way to regulate retail marijuana to reduce the public health risk with a minimum of regulation. 2:54:36 PM SENATOR BEGICH asked if any increase had been shown in adult use and why does the Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey show a higher use among youth. DR. BUTLER said the adult trend data for Alaska has been stable at around 15-16 percent. He speculated that legalization could increase availability and reduce the perception of harm among youth. SENATOR BEGICH said he hoped DHSS would produce yearly reports about trend data so the legislature could track whether education programs are effective. SENATOR GIESSEL asked if he knew of the Office of Opioids and Substance Abuse referenced by the Governor's Council on Disabilities. 2:57:46 PM MR BUTLER said it is actually the Office of Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention, which was created using existing funds and positions from the Division of Public Health and the Division of Behavioral Health. The office plays a coordinating role with a focus on opioids and marijuana and prevention. CHAIR WILSON asked how the fund is similar to and different than the tobacco programs in the state. DR. BUTLER said it is not significantly different, but sustainability is one issue. A big proportion of the tobacco prevention fund came from the master settlement, and those funds are starting to decline. Marijuana retail sales would be a sustainable source of funding for the Marijuana Education Fund. 3:00:37 PM CHAIR WILSON opened public testimony on SB 128. 3:00:51 PM TREVOR STORRS, Executive Director, Alaska Children's Trust, suggested changes to SB 128. He said than when Alaska became the third state to legalize recreational marijuana use, it came with opportunities and challenges. The first priority is to protect Alaska's youth because marijuana use in youth effects their brain development. Four out of ten high school students have used marijuana. Alaska needs specific youth prevention that promotes protective factors. The proposal in the House utilizes the Alaska Children's Trust and its program the Alaska Afterschool Network to focus on youth use prevention. The Alaska Children's Trust has a proven grant-making system with a greater investment in services. 3:02:55 PM MR STORR said connecting the funds to the Alaska Children's Trust ensures higher standards and the highest possible outcomes for youth. He encouraged the Senate to follow the House in directing another 25 percent to afterschool programs. 3:03:41 PM CHAIR WILSON closed public testimony on SB 128 and held the bill in committee.