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Marijuana Edibles Concern Local Law Enforcement And Health Experts, Santa Clarita Youths At Risk
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Marijuana Edibles Concern Local Law Enforcement And Addiction Experts, Santa Clarita Youths At Risk

Marijuana edibles are finding their way into the hands of young adults in Santa Clarita, causing local law enforcement to take notice, and addiction experts like Cary Quashen of Action Family Counseling to discuss their potential to lead to other drugs.


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The most common type of edible marijuana is found in the form of brownies, according to Sgt. Bob Wachsmuth of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station’s Juvenile Intervention Team or “J-Team.”

A mixture of hash oil and brownie mix is baked and then packaged, according to Wachsmuth, adding that other types of sweets, like gummy bears and cookies, have also been known to contain marijuana.

In the past, there have been numerous instances of teens going to Six Flags Magic Mountain after eating the edibles.

Dispensaries in the San Fernando Valley are the most common places where the edibles are being sold, said Wachsmuth.

Although a prescription for marijuana is necessary to buy edibles, one can easily be obtained by visiting, who Wachsmuth calls, “failed doctors.”

“You find them in places like Van Nuys and Venice where it is inexpensive to rent an office,” Wachsmuth said.

He added that $75 and any medical excuse, such as lack of sleep or physical pain, is sufficient for some doctors to write a prescription.

One of the dangers posed by edible marijuana is the amount of time that it takes for them to take affect.

Marijuana that is inhaled takes an almost immediate effect since THC, the active ingredient, is delivered directly from the lungs to the brain.

When ingested, it takes THC about 25 minutes to pass through the stomach and take effect, Wachsmuth said.

The delay will often cause someone who is eating edible marijuana to consume more since they do not feel the effects immediately.

Related: Action Family Counseling Founder To Appear In NBC News Segment On Heroin, Opiate Epidemic

“When it finally hits them, they are overwhelmed,” Wachsmuth said. “They can’t walk, they can’t talk, it’s like a seizure.”

This type of affect, Wachsmuth continued, can cause a serious accident where the result can be death.

Quashen, founder and president of the Santa Clarita drug and alochol rehab center Action Family Counseling, said that another possible outcome from the use of marijuana edibles is that, like traditional marijuana use, it can lead to more powerful drugs, like heroin and methamphetamine.

“We make personal contracts with ourselves,” said Quashen, who appeared on a special NBC News segment called “Heroin Is Exploding” earlier this week and hosts “Families in Action” on KHTS AM-1220. “We tell ourselves ‘I’ll never try this or I’ll never try that.’ Once you start, that personal contract begins to deteriorate. Every heroin addict I’ve ever met started with marijuana.”

Deputy William Velek, also of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station’s J-Team, echoes Wachsmuth sentiments saying, “parents and schools are our first line of defense against marijuana edibles.”

He went on to say that the city of Santa Clarita does not allow the establishment of any marijuana dispensaries.

On March 9, Velek plans to hold a talk with Santa Clarita residents about the dangers of marijuana edibles and the risks that are posed to the community.

To combat teen drug use, the city of Santa Clarita, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Supervisorial District and the William S. Hart Union High School District have created Drug Free Youth In Town or DFYIT.

DFYIT is a free, school-based, voluntary anti-drug club for junior high and high school students, according to the DFYIT website.

Their goal is to provide a positive peer network that supports healthy choices and a drug free lifestyle.

“Of all the things that we do to stop the spread of drug use, it is where we get the most bang for our buck,” Wachsmuth said. “Nothing seems to work other than stopping them before they start.”

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

Action Family Counseling is a Santa Clarita drug and alcohol rehab center. Action has drug and alcohol residential treatment locations in Santa Clarita, Piru and Bakersfield, as well as intensive drug and alcohol outpatient programs in Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Ventura, Pasadena and Bakersfield. Action Family Counseling supports and reinforces changes in behavior patterns so that adolescents and adults, or clients and their families, can fully indoctrinate the philosophies and principles needed to remain abstinent and stabilized for life.

Action Family Counseling

22722 Soledad Canyon Road

Santa Clarita, CA 91350

Office: 661-297-8691

24-Hour Helpline: 800-367-8336

Marijuana Edibles Concern Local Law Enforcement And Addiction Experts, Santa Clarita Youths At Risk

2 comments

  1. Wow, scv why don’t you come out and say your anti Marijuana. I mean the slant is so obvious. It’s never the kid fault right? That’s seems to be the problem nobody wants to fix. Then again there’s no money in that. In almost every case of stories like this the minor notoriously got a hold of the drug by some means. Rather then finding the root of that problem or what cause the minor to use. It’s the drugs fault. It’s funny I see no one getting as angry at the pharmaceutical companies which are the biggest drug dealers in the world legally and face no consequences for the harm their drugs induce on their users. I also found it odd that in your story. No one from the other side was offered their chance to present that side of the argument. I am a medical Marijuana patient. It has been a God send, as I suffer from chronic pain and depression. MMJ has helped me manage my ailments. It’s just sad that journalism is so one sided nowadays. If the dispensary who is in the wrong what is medical marijuana patient was in the wrong let the law do its work but don’t blame the situation on the drug and disregard the actions of the minor. The real problem will never gets solved that way.

    • What people don’t seem to realize is that drugs and alcohol are not the problem, they are the solution which is why addiction is and has always been such a sadness. We need to find out the problem which is different for every single being. That takes time, patience, persistence, tenacity,love,so so so much more, sometimes. If you get there, to the problem, then we can fix it … and not disguise it as addiction.

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About Enzo Marino

Enzo became a staff writer at KHTS AM-1220 in June 2015. He is working towards his Associates Degree in New Media Journalism at College of the Canyons where he is currently involved with Cougar News, the on-campus student and community news outlet. Enzo’s passion for news started when he was an intern at KNBC-4 in Burbank