Scott Jones Mobile City Councilman District 6

This was from Clay County’s Newspaper. AltaPointe is already trying to change this story line. Karin is a longtime resident and AltaPointe board member. The altaPointe PR representative reached out to the author to come to Mobile to get the “truth”. The author refused.

Clay County Commission hears concern over Alta Pointe services in the county

Concerned citizen, Karin Christopherson, was present to address the commission at the April 10, 2023 meeting. Christopherson said she had served on the Clay County Mental Health Board for a long time, and had a history of working with mental health.

Christopherson said the new four-million dollar facility that had been built by Alta Pointe to serve Clay County as a mental health clinic was still just an empty building. In addition to this, the Alta Pointe CEO Turk Schlesinger has closed all the apartment buildings in Lineville that once housed mentally ill people. She said Schlesinger had also gotten rid of two local halfway houses for mental health people and sold them. Christopherson said this has already gone to the state level because he can’t do that.

She continued by stating that when Alta Pointe first came to Clay County in 2016 and took over Cheaha Mental Health, there were 125 employees and now there are none here, and only two in Randolph County. “We’re not getting the services here”, said Christopherson, “We had the McKinney Learning Center that has been there since the 90’s, which served as a day treatment for intellectually disabled adults to have a place to go and socialize and learn to do things and they closed it “

Karin Christopherson
Karin Christopherson
Christopherson also said she had talked to some local law enforcement, who told her that if they have anyone with alcohol and drug problems, Alta Pointe will not see them. “They send everybody to Sylacauga and this is a hardship on families because of the travel there. I don’t know how to remedy this. We have a board, but no real input.“

She continued by explaining that the Alta Pointe CEO doesn’t tell the Mental Health Board she serves on anything. She says there’s a 7-member board closer to Turk that votes on everything, but her board is kept in the dark. “Turk used to come up here, but I haven’t seen him in years. I know the pandemic had something to do with it, but we’re past that now. “

Commissioner Shane Davidson asked if the county was funding anything there and Commissioner Roy Johnson said he thought most of the funding came from a federal and state level. Christopherson said most of mental health funding came from a federal level now, because it has been such a big issue in the past few years with mass shootings, su***des, etc. “I’m not sure how much state money we get, and I’ve never been told. It all goes to Alta Pointe in Mobile and he dishes it out.” Christopherson did say that she does get the statement and the CEO’s profÐit was eleven million dollars from February 2022 to February 2023. “He shouldn’t even have a profÐit”, she said.

Christopherson said he had changed from Alta Pointe to Accordia Clinic. “At the last board meeting, all he wanted to talk about was what we needed was medical health and then mental health. It all goes hand in hand, he said. But Accordia is coming out of the East, where they are addressing this concept. That’s New York and we’re in Alabama. He put an Accordia Health in Coosa County, they have two doctors and one part-time psychiatrist. We don’t even have a psychiatrist at all. We see one on TV. “

Chairman/ Commissioner Billy Robertson said he was very concerned about this issue. “So, we’re sitting here with three empty buildings here, counting the apartments, the McKinney Center. We need to realize how important mental health is and if you watch the news, I know everyone understands how important it is.“

Commissioner Ricky Burney inquired about when was the last time they had a meeting and Christopherson answered there was a zoom meeting on March 16th and he closed it down. “There’s been a conflict between him and a councilmen from Mobile and he closed it down when CEO gave the councilman three minutes to talk and after that, he told us all about how we were going to have medical health and mental health together and that’s what he wants for this building but I don’t think the doctors here will go along with that. He closed the meeting after this and went into the other 7-member board meeting and I don’t know what was said or passed. I never know”, she explained. Their next meeting will be May.

Robertson concluded by suggesting to Christopherson that he felt she, along with anyone else who was concerned about the lack of mental health services in this county, might need to contact our state senator Randy Price and Representative Steve Hurst, because those are the two entities that are funding this mental health issue. Davidson agreed with Robertson’s suggestion on this matter.

Christopherson said she knew the commission would be concerned, and that’s why she wanted to start with them, as part of Clay County, because it is a concern to the entire community. “I don’t have any answers, but I’ll do whatever will help you if you will lead me in that direction.”

This concluded her presentation. Probate Judge Tammy Sprayberry thanked Christopherson for addressing this, because she deals with mental health daily and it is a huge issue, so anything that can be done to help with that will be greatly appreciated.

More on this meeting in next week’s edition.

Tammy Andrews
Clay Times-Journal
256-396-5760

Thomas Sowell said, 'when you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what you want them to hear.'
We had two proclamations this morning talking about sexual assault and how we, the city council stand against it. It's funny how every time we talk about AltaPointe in this setting, I get a phone call shortly thereafter with another abuse that has happened at that organization. The same thing happened this past week.

I can not continue to sit on this council that allows an environment that creates the conditions for this abuse to continue, defends those actions, and then funds the organization where those actions exist. That allows for the abuse of the most vulnerable among us and yet we sit here and do nothing. I've laid out facts numerous times of those abuses. I've gone to committee meetings. Members of this council have tried to shut down parents that have just tried to state their problems that they have. We have the ability to impact change yet we refuse to do that as a city council, as a county commission and as city leadership. We saw that just the end of this week.

It's absurd to sit in a relationship and you know that the individual in that relationship is abusive yet you just ignore it. How many of us would have friends that hits his wife or breaks his children's arms and say 'that's okay. I'm still going to go out and fellowship with you and I'm gonna let that go; I'm gonna ignore it.' That's exactly what city leaders are doing when it comes to the issues I've discussed. I can not change that. That's been absolutely, evidently clear, but I can refuse to sit here and be a party to it. For these reasons and a few more that I will state in a press conference in two weeks, I'm resigning my position of city councilman the end of April. I'm not resigning from service, I'm just changing the position from where I serve. I will not be making any public comments until further notice. There comes a time where me being your representative does more harm than good for many different reasons and we are at that point.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you in this capacity. This is not how I pictured this going but there is no doubt in my mind this is the right decision that needs to be made.

Scott

Praying for the families of the fallen. RIP warriors!

Truly a step in the right direction to provide green space by the bay. I believe this is something many have been desiring and this has been a great example of what can happen with community collaboration involved in the process.
I think it is extremely important that as we continue to move forward, that we connect these green spaces. We should have folks able to get on a bicycle or run from Langan Park across from South Alabama all the way to this park with connecting green spaces via a combination of well lit trails, sidewalks and paths. No, it is not easy, but achieving great things never is.

On Thursday of this past week, a circuit court judge and jury found that AltaPointe did not meet the standard of care to protect a patient’s right to be treated in a safe and humane place. They were ordered to pay the plaintiff $7M.

The patient’s treatment plan mandated that he be looked in on at least every 15 minutes. Records show that the patient sometimes went hours between checks. It was during one of those events that another unsupervised patient entered the victim’s room and sexually assaulted him. An employee walked in the room and found the incident taking place. At that time, the plaintiff was put into an isolation room for 18 hours before taken to the University of South Alabama Medical Center where he was confirmed to have been sexually assaulted.

The issue for me is that this is not just about a case, this is the culture at AltaPointe. This case occurred two years ago and it continues to happen. I have heard the pleas for help over the past year from parent after parent after parent.

I put the verdict sheet on a social media site that was started by some of those parents and within two minutes one parent who I will keep anonymous posted this “my son was molested by another patient... it’s extremely heartbreaking... my son also got his finger broken during being restrained by staff -it grew back very crooked but I never pursued anything”. This very council has heard other stories. How many more will have to be heard before this problem is fixed? Why do these parents have to remain silent? Why do folks who used to work at AltaPointe feel threatened to come out and say anything about their previous experiences there? Why do other mental health providers in this region feel as if they can’t speak out on the problems in our city?

What I know is that in this country the buck stops at the top. Leadership creates culture. Leadership demands accountability. Leadership does not run from hard facts but instead embraces the problem and creates a path forward to ensure that the issues that created the shortfalls are met head on and fixed so the problem doesn’t occur again in the future.

What happened on Friday is not what I would have expected to happen. We saw the CEO of AltaPointe issue the following statement:
“ We sympathize with the patient and their family. This incident, as alleged, is not something any of us would allow to happen. As heartbreaking as these allegations are, we must also recognize that the challenges we face in mental health are vast and complicated. We respectfully disagree with the decision by the jury, and will be appealing the verdict.”
this incident is not something any of us would allow to happen? Really? Alleged actions? Seriously? This is leadership? This is what the 310 board thinks is worthy of a CEO response? I don’t know of any corporation or institution in this nation where the CEO would not be immediately relieved after a situation just like this.

Why was this abuse not only allowed by AltaPointe, but not dealt with for at least 18 hours after it happened? Why put an abuse victim in isolation for 18 hours? Why was the CEO making statements to say this didn’t even happen when a jury of 12 of our peers in this city UNANIMOUSLY said this abuse did, in fact, occur after facts in evidence were presented? Why did it take 2 years for the CEO to even come out and acknowledge this happened?

LTG Hal Moore, you may recognize the name from the movie “we were soldiers”. LTG Hal Moore had this to say about leaders “leaders at all levels must know their stuff, be dead honest; when confronted with a challenging problem, take a positive attitude, face up to the facts and deal with them.”
What I would have expected the CEO to say would be something along the lines of this “we acknowledge that this devastating action against one of our patients happened. I have started a full investigation and will have the results of that investigation to the board within the next two weeks. It is my goal to ensure that this type of incident can not happen ever again in any of our facilities. This is clearly not acceptable. I take full responsibility and will cooperate fully with the board, the State Department of Mental Health and any other agency that needs to be involved in this on-going investigation.

This statement would have come out however in November of 2019 and not after the jury awarded a $7m verdict.
What the Tobias Law Firm will attest to is that the words “we are sorry” were never spoken to the parents or the victim. Instead AltaPointe representatives attempted to assess blame back on to the victim and the parents. That is anything BUT leadership.
The biggest issue that I have with all of this is that AltaPointe is the ONLY mental health provider in our region recognized by the State Department of Mental Health. There is nowhere else for these patients to go.

In the very near future I will be going to the 310 mental health board and requesting that they ask the CEO to resign from this position and put a new leadership team in place. I am asking my colleagues and the county commissioners to join me in this request as it is the only right path forward after these heinous facts have come out.

In addition, Iam asking several other state legislators to go to the Alabama Department of Mental Health requesting the same pressure be applied to the board.

It is time to hold the leadership of AltaPoint responsible for setting the conditions for this culture to continue. Leaders of this city have an opportunity to fix this. Doing nothing is the wrong answer.

And Tuesday I will be speaking a lot….for those who cannot

Oh how true this is….

DISTRICT 6 QUARTERLY MEETING TONIGHT

6PM at the Connie Hudson Community Center

Chief Prine, Chief Lami, Municipal Judges, City Resiliency Officer will be on hand.

We will discuss Annexation, Litter, Homelessness, District CIP efforts and have a question and answer period.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Scott

FYSA

Came across this saying today. Truly fitting when you find yourself in politics.

Leadership thought for the day…. I have watched both of these in action.

Opportunities to work for a great company with great benefits

Saturday job fair showcasing 1,200 new positions at Austal Austal USA is looking to fill 1,200 positions across its Mobile shipbuilding complex over the next 18 months, and will host a job fair on Saturday, Jan. 28 to show

UPDATE #2

From the Planning Commission Email I just received regarding our agenda item on Hillcrest:

All,
Please note that the applicant will be withdrawing this application at the meeting tomorrow. We will advise any members of the public that call today or tomorrow; however, due to the late notice the withdrawal must occur at the meeting.
Regards,

Margaret Pappas
Deputy Director, Planning and Zoning
Planning & Zoning
f8679814-b45e-4d8a-be58-3f9924ca8ba5

Well deserved! I have seen her in action and she is extremely impressive!

DECEMBER FFOM:
The Mobile Fire-Rescue Department proudly recognizes Fire Service Driver Paula Trimmier as the Firefighter of the Month for December 2022.

For several years, Driver Trimmier has represented the best of the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department family - expressing compassion with patients on medical responses, mentoring inexperienced firefighters, sharing wisdom and competence where needed, and more.

FULL STORY:
https://www.cityofmobile.org/fire/firefighters-of-the-month/paula-trimmier-named-december-firefighter-of-the-month

********** ACTION NEEDED**********

HILLCREST/NEVIUS RD SUBDIVISION UPDATE:
While I have heard that the developer does not have the appetite to push this development forward at Hillcrest and Nevius Rd, this item is still on the Planning Commission agenda for a vote on this Thursday at 2pm at the Government Plaza auditorium (southeast corner of the atrium). I will keep everyone updated and will be voicing my opposition to this in hopes of killing it before it goes to the City Council.
We can have four speakers come speak against it. Since we are limited to four, I would ask that anyone wanting to speak is in some type of neighborhood leadership position that speaks with the authority of others as well as themselves. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. This will not go in my newsletter as there will not be enough reaction time from the time it gets published. Please pass this message out to your neighbors and friends that this may impact.

UPDATE #2

FROM THE CITY PLANNING OFFICE:

All,
Please note that the applicant will be withdrawing this application at the meeting tomorrow. We will advise any members of the public that call today or tomorrow; however, due to the late notice the withdrawal must occur at the meeting.
Regards,

Margaret Pappas
Deputy Director, Planning and Zoning
Planning & Zoning Office

I have your back,
Scott

Great thought from a great man…

Neighbors,
Tomorrow is the annual MLK Day of Service throughout the city. Our district will be meeting up at Burns Middle School and clean-up starts at 0900. I just arrived in Houston, Tx as Susie is running a marathon this weekend here. Victor Burch was training her for this so she is running this in his memory.

There will be pickers, vests, gloves,sunscreen, and bug spray for you at the site. All you need to bring is a smile. There will also be snacks and reusable water bottles.

Please have a safe weekend! I will see you soon.

Scott

UPDATE ON HILLCREST SUBDIVISION MEETING:

First and foremost I want to thank everyone for coming out and voicing their opinions and concerns about this development last night. This has been, by far, the most people that have ever attended a district meeting and I appreciate your input.

Bottom line up front - I cannot support this development in this location.

I spent a lot of time in meetings with the developers and land owners, studying the infrastructure, routes, and most importantly, listening to you. I came into the meeting on a completely neutral stance to ensure that I had no bias either way and wanted to hear the presentation and hear your questions and the developers responses to those questions. As I stated last night, after all was said and done, ensuring that this would not impact your quality of life, safety, and security, is not feasible and therefore I cannot support it. I cannot and will not put your greatest investments of your home and family at risk. I made promises to you and will not betray those promises.

I believe that the warehouse, as presented, would not be a bad addition to the area if built as presented. With that said, what I cannot be ok with is the high level of semi-truck traffic becoming a fixture in a residential area. I would not want that outside my neighborhood and you shouldn’t have it outside of your neighborhoods.

I also want to make clear that we do need this type of facility as the port continues to grow. I applaud the growth at the port and with growth comes growing pains, but we cannot negatively impact the quality of life of our citizens as we do it. There are better places that are more conducive to this type of facility closer to the interstate that doesn’t have to transit through residential areas.

Lastly, there were a number of people who only got the message about the meeting from the TV news at 5pm. I need people to get connected to this site and my newsletter. I have been putting this information out for well over a week and even addressed this over a month ago when I first heard there was something going on here and for folks to be paying attention as I would be updating them if this happened. IF the developer still desires to move this forward, I will need your help again on the 19th at the Planning Commission meeting and then at the City Council Meeting IF the Planning Commission votes to move the development forward.

I will keep everyone updated on how this proceeds. Thanks again for all of you that showed up, sent emails, and facebook messages.

I have your back,
Scott

HILLCREST DEVELOPMENT MEETING 6pm TONIGHT (12 Jan) at the CONNIE HUDSON CENTER

As I put out in last week’s newsletter, there is a proposed development on Hillcrest just south of where Nievus Rd intersects Hillcrest. This is an 80 acre development and the developer and landowner will be available to present their vision for the development and take questions. I will not pre-judge this development. I will wait until after they have presented their plan and we have had an opportunity to discuss it in an open forum and you ask questions important to you. My decision will be an informed one only after all of the facts have been presented and your questions and concerns have been addressed.

I encourage all of you to please refrain from putting out rumors as facts. I have seen a lot of disinformation on social media and that is not fair to your neighbors or to the developers. Once the facts are presented, then you will have every opportunity to ask questions and state your opinions at that point.

As I have stated since I started my campaign to represent you, my first priority is to maintain the integrity of our neighborhoods, ensure you have a safe and secure environment, and to protect the greatest investments you make - your family and home.

I have your back!

Scott

I back the blue! Thank you!

This is playing out in front of our eyes

From my weekly newsletter:

Good Afternoon Neighbors and Welcome to 2023,

I hope each of you had a great New Year's Celebration and got to spend some quality time with your family and friends over the extended break. There are a couple of important topics that I want to share as we head into this new year.

NEW YEARS EVE MASS SHOOTING
I was not shocked to see this shooting in Mobile. This has gotten to a point over the last couple of years where this is an expected event as gangs drive throughout the city and conduct their business wherever they choose. We have a problem in this city where some believe they are above the law and will settle their disputes when and how they want, regardless of who is in the proximity of their fight who have nothing to do with it. I am limited to give details as there is an ongoing investigation, but what I can tell you is that there was an on-duty police in the close proximity of the shooter on Saturday night. Whether there was a police there or not I don't believe would have made any difference. It is disheartening to see the comments from many on social media about our city not being safe but there are no words that I can say that will make you change your mind. Your perception is your reality and the reality is that one person was killed and nine were injured at a large celebration downtown.

What I can promise you is that the City Council is committed to doing everything we possibly can to ensure that there is a price that will be paid for operating outside of the law. With that said, it is imperative that when anyone sees or hears anything that is troubling that they call the police. There is no doubt in my mind that the events that led up to the shooting were enough to have given someone the opportunity to have walked up to a uniformed police officer and have them intervene before a shot was ever fired. If people don't report things, this type of event is going to continue to happen regardless of how many police are on site or how many programs we continue to fund, or how much technology we bring to bear on this issue. The best intelligence and deterrent is you.

PINEHURST DOG ISSUES
I have been working with some of the residents, city animal control, and the police on the dog issue on Wesley and now hearing of other dog issues in the neighborhood as well that have resulted in many of you not even wanting to take a walk in the neighborhood. This is not ok and must get fixed. If you are a dog owner you have the responsibility to keep your dog on your property. When you don't do this, you put yourself at risk for any damage or harm to property or people that is done while your dog is out. I am asking that each of you help with this problem and make your community safe for everyone. It is not fair to your neighbors if you can't keep your dogs on your property and I am committed to giving residents a safe and secure neighborhood and will work proactively to get this issue under control. I am hoping that we can all work together to get this where it needs to be.

HILLCREST DEVELOPMENT ISSUE
On Thursday, the 12th of January at 6pm at the Connie Hudson Center, I will be hosting a community meeting to discuss the development of 80 acres just south of Nevius Rd and on the West side of Hillcrest. There is a current proposal to rezone that from RB2 to B5. The developer will be in attendance to lay out his plan. This planning commission item has already been requested to be held over for two weeks in order for this meeting to happen. While the planning commission has the authority to approve the subdivision proposal, the City Council will be the ones determining the re-zoning decision. The planning commission will make their recommendation to the City Council.

There is a major difference between subdivision approval and rezoning. The planning commission only looks at the lot in question without regards to use when looking at subdivision proposals. They make decisions based on legal paramaters, set-backs, easements, etc.; the rezoning takes into account intended use, future use map designations, etc. The subdivision has to follow the desginations of what the property is zoned for. This property is currently zoned for RB2 (residential business) and Mobile Future Use Map has it designated as R1, residential.

As always, it is an honor and privilege to serve you each and every day. I am excited about our future in District 6!

I have your back,
Scott

So true….it is sad where we are in this nation and in this city. Healthy debate discussing the pros and cons of issues is how things really get resolved. When you can’t do that in an open forum you are in trouble.

I hope everyone has a safe celebration as they bring in the new year. It has been an honor to serve you in 2022.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours

If you normally had your yard trash picked up tomorrow that will not happen. This is a change from the previously published schedule. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

Sent to me from a friend. Thought it was worth sharing as so many are frustrated right now with things beyond our control in this city. Have a blessed Sunday. God is still in control.

From my weekly newsletter:

Good afternoon neighbors,

I hope each of you have had a good week. It has been another busy week as we get one week closer to the end of the year and closer to Christmas. I pray this time of year brings hope, joy, and laughter to your home.

STREET SWEEPER BLUES
I have had a few phone calls lately about the delinquency of the street sweepers coming through various neighborhoods. Currently, there are significant issues with the entire fleet. On Tuesday, the City Council voted to buy four more street sweepers to replace some broken vehicles. The goal is to get to 11 fully operational vehicles soon and have an operator for each one. Only three trained operators are on staff, with two more in training. The city is looking for individuals with a CDL who can be trained to operate these.

The Public Works staff is currently working on the overall city plan to determine the operational tempo for the city and to lay out how that looks. Once that is complete, I will let you know.

MEDICAL MA*****NA VOTE
On Tuesday, December 13, the City Council will vote for the pot shop ordinance. As most have probably heard, if you have been following this, I am 100% against this. In last week’s newsletter, I laid out the general reasons and said I would share some of my sources this week. Here are just a handful of those articles that have led me to my conclusion:

The FDA has approved medical ma*****na, and some folks in our neighborhoods have prescriptions for this safe form of medical ma*****na. Here is their data found on www.FDA.gov

“To date, the FDA has not approved a marketing application for cannabis for the treatment of any disease or condition. The agency has, however, approved one cannabis-derived drug product: Epidiolex (cannabidiol), and three synthetic cannabis-related drug products: Marinol (dronabinol), Syndros (dronabinol), and Cesamet (nabilone). These approved drug products are only available with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. Importantly, the FDA has not approved any other cannabis, cannabis-derived, or cannabidiol (CBD) products currently available on the market.”

Ma*****na is not a safe drug. It has dangerous side effects. This quote is from Johnny, a bright high school graduate with a 4.0 GPA and a full scholarship who lived in Colorado. He started using ma*****na when he was 14, when it became legal. This excerpt is from his mother “Three days before he passed, Johnny came over for dinner. He lived in our condo a couple of miles down the street and would often pop in for a home-cooked meal. “I need to tell you that you were right,” he said. “Right about what?” I asked. “Right about the ma*****na. You told me w**d would hurt my brain, and it’s ruined my mind and my life. You were right all along. I’m sorry, and I love you.” He died by su***de three days later.” You can find the entire story at this website https://johnnysambassadors.org/

Here is a video I encourage you to watch. Christine Carr Interviews Colorado Law Enforcement Officer Tim Palmer (Ret) about how ma*****na law has changed the state.
https://rumble.com/vstx7j-colorado-prison-captain-warns-alabama-about-ma*****na.html

Top 15 risks of Cannabis use from the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis website: https://iasic1.org/:

Cities trying to fix the black market ma*****na problems that came to their cities after they legalized pot: https://www.city-journal.org/legalization-no-cure-for-black-market-in-pot

Former Colorado AG describes the problems experienced in his state after legalizing ma*****na.
https://gazette.com/opinion/denver-columns/guest-column-colorados-crime-wave-and-ma*****na-policies/article_c21ebd1e-6f36-11ec-b1a8-d7e859169de5.html

Actual research that shows that ma*****na doesn’t help with pain in many cases.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11482701/Theres-NO-evidence-ma*****na-CBD-oil-treats-pain-better-placebo-major-review-finds.html

Teen ma*****na poisonings have skyrocketed. How to keep your child safe:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/teen-ma*****na-poisonings-skyrocketed-keep-183259855.html

More Colorado Statistics:
The number of DUI summonses issued by the Colorado State Patrol in which ma*****na-alone or ma*****na-in-combination was recorded increased by 120% between 2014 (n=684) and 2020 (n=1,508).

The proportion of 18- to 25-year-old probationers testing positive for THC increased from 32% in 2012 to 47% in 2019. The ratio of 36 and older probationers testing positive for THC also increased, from 14% in 2012 to 27% in 2019

In 2019, 19.0% of adults reported ma*****na use in the past 30 days, compared to 13.4% in 2014, a significant increase.

Males have significantly higher past 30-day use (22.9%) than females (15.1%).

Adults 26-34 reported the highest past 30-day usage rates (29.4%), followed by 18-25 year-olds (28.8%), 35-64 year-olds (17.3%), and those 65 years and older (9.3%).

The ma*****na usage rates of those 65 and older have tripled since 2014.

Those reporting smoking ma*****na flowers decreased from 87.2% of users in 2016 to 76.1% in 2019. This compares to increases in eating/drinking (35.2% in 2016 to 43.0% in 2019, va**ng (22.9% in 2016 to 32.0% in 2019), and dabbing (16.8% in 2016 to 19.6% in 2019)

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, administered by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the prevalence rates for ma*****na use in the past 30 days increased for young adults (18- to 25 years old), from 21.2% in 2005/06 (pre-commercialization) to 31.2% in 2013/14 (post-commercialization), but has stabilized at 34.4% in 2018/19. Reported 30-day ma*****na use by adults ages 26 years and older increased from 5.4% in 2005/06 to 15.6% in 2018/19.

During the era of non-commercial medical ma*****na, the hospitalization rate of those with ma*****na-related billing codes rose 17% (826.8 in 2003 to 963.5 in 2009). The period of medical ma*****na commercialization (2010–2013) reflected a 100% jump to 1,780.9 per 100,000 hospitalizations.

There was a significant rate increase of ma*****na-related emergency department visits during the era of medical commercialization, from 617.7 in 2011 to 1039.5 in 2014.

The number of calls to poison control mentioning human ma*****na exposure increased over the past 10 years. There were 41 calls in 2006 and 276 in 2019. Between 2014 and 2017, the frequency of calls reporting human ma*****na exposure stabilized but increased again in 2018.

Colorado revenue falls; they don’t tell you why - the black market ma*****na sales skyrocket as the cartels come in and sell below the legal market rate due to taxation.

https://www.9news.com/article/money/colorado-ma*****na-industry-experiencing-largest-downturn-ever-seen/73-dc6706ff-19ff-40dd-bcb4-5ff41cc7ca64

California legalized ma*****na in 2016 under conditions very similar to what Alabama is doing. The ma*****na industry promised (A) significant tax benefits to the state for the legal sale of ma*****na and (B) a reduction in crime resulting from legalizing and thus controlling the growth, production, and sale of ma*****na. Today, just six years later, there are 10 times as many illegal ma*****na growers as licensed legal growers. The tax rate in California on the growth, production and sale of legal ma*****na is 70%, thereby creating a lively black market for illegal ma*****na. Illegal growers, producers, and sellers are selling their products at a price 50% below the legal product, essentially putting the legal producers out of business. No legal ma*****na business means no tax revenue to the state. Law enforcement’s job has become more difficult because they must deal with the vast black market in ma*****na.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/11/23/illegal-cannabis-growers-still-thrive-california-stealing-legal-business/

I could share many more documents, but this gives you a good start to what has driven my decisions. I have also talked to the Alabama Cannabis Commission and am convinced the statement that this will be “tightly regulated” is a complete myth. Maybe they will prove me wrong.

The bottom line is I will be voting against this on Tuesday and, furthermore, will be pushing to ensure that when the zoning discussion comes up, District 6 will not have any of these pot shops littering our community with the crime that will follow.

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON
I am holding my first Christmas luncheon on December 14 at the Connie Hudson Center from 11-1 p.m. The luncheon is also an opportunity for you to bring canned goods and new toys for those less fortunate. I hope to see you there for this festive occasion!

It is truly an honor and privilege to serve you each and every week!

I have your back,
Scott

Illegal Cannabis Growers Still Thrive in California, Stealing Business The legalization of recreational cannabis in the state of California has reportedly not led to a downturn in illegal business.