The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council says it wants to educate policy and decision-makers on what it calls "misinformation" about marijuana and synthetic drugs. The Council held an educational summit Thursday.
IPAC Executive Director Dave Powell says the goal of the summit isn't to advocate for legislation or policy changes — just to inform. Part of that effort included a presentation from Kevin Wong, a drug enforcement official from Colorado. Wong painted a bleak picture of that state's marijuana legalization.
"Past month usage amongst youth? Gone up," Wong says. "Suspensions and expulsions? Gone up. Emergency room admissions? Up."
And Powell says Indiana's synthetic drug issues are worse. He points to the recent overdose deaths of two Bloomington residents tied to a new synthetic drug that wasn't yet illegal.
"The two kids that died in Bloomington – the pharmacy board met in an emergency session to get that on the schedule," Powell says. "They ordered that stuff online, paid 30 bucks or 40 bucks for it or something and it killed them."
The summit also featured a Purdue University professor teaching about the differences between marijuana and hemp.