Question: Why should states create public awareness campaigns around the risks of cannabis products?

Greg Tung: Education around cannabis use is important regardless of what the state market looks like. There is an outdated belief that cannabis is harmless — that isn’t true. Yes, there are beneficial uses for it, especially for chronic pain. But for other groups, there are real harms.

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Q: How has the cannabis market changed in Colorado over the last decade?

GT: In Colorado, we have been on the forefront of the legalization of cannabis. Flower cannabis in Colorado used to have THC amounts in the single digits. Now there are products with THC levels up to 20% or 25%. This evolution in our market matters for Georgia because a lot of product innovation that we see in Colorado could influence the market in Georgia.

Q: How does the state of Colorado inform people of the risks of THC products?

GT: We make it clear that people should not be using cannabis while driving, period. The academic conversation is still taking place, and it seems that regular users might have a higher tolerance that can’t exactly be compared to tolerance for alcohol. But the public policy position needs to be that using cannabis is going to impair you, and using cannabis while driving is driving under the influence. Our laws and public messaging in Colorado really reflect that.

It’s not just a theoretical concern — we have seen this demonstrated in driver simulators, and in crash data in Colorado and other states.

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Q: Why do people think that lower levels of THC are safer?

GT: Lower-THC levels are just one factor that influences the dose that someone gets. People can megadose edibles, or eat many edibles in one package. That amplifies the effects of THC. The effects can be beneficial for some individuals, but harmful for others. There are special concerns around youth and young adults, and pregnant individuals. Mental health outcomes are also a concern. There is a risk of psychotic disorders with greater doses of THC.

An area of concern is the broad use of cannabis among young adults. The brain is actively developing through age 25. We are trying to understand if exposing the brain to chemicals that bind to the endocannabinoid system (ECS) could be leading to an increase in psychiatric disorders in younger groups.

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Q: Some people have compared the cannabis market in the U.S. to the Wild West. Do you agree?

GT: What we are seeing right now in the United States can be compared to the Wild West, yes. I think cannabis is on the forefront of a fundamentally different way of thinking about substances in our country. If you think about cannabis as a pharmaceutical, pharmaceuticals need to undergo safety tests in order to gain approvals. With cannabis, we’ve flipped that — we are researching it as we go. This is largely because there was a large illegal market for cannabis. The science, the rules, the ability to effectively regulate cannabis has opened the door to thinking about other substances in a similar manner. It opens a broader conversation: potent substances might have legitimate uses, but might also come with harms.

Q: What can Georgia learn from Colorado’s experience with cannabis?

GT: The voters in Colorado made the decision that recreational and medical marijuana should be available, so the state is now trying to understand how to make this work. There is lots of research to support legitimate medical uses. But how do you balance that with a system that might include recreational use?

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Back when Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, I thought it was a defensible thing to do. It wasn’t a decision of “will cannabis be available or not be available” — it was clearly available.

Then we went through a thoughtful discussion and we are still catching up. Our enforcement division sits within the department of revenue — which tells you something about how the state thinks about cannabis.

But again, in terms of public messaging, there’s no disagreement here in Colorado regarding cannabis use while driving and while pregnant: you should not drive while using cannabis, or consume cannabis while pregnant.