OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority announced it will allocate $2 million to the state Office of Juvenile Affairs to fund statewide evidence-based substance abuse interventions.
State law requires a portion of Oklahoma’s 7% medical marijuana excise tax revenue (almost $4 million of the first $65 million generated by the tax) to fund anti-drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. The $2 million for OJA’s research-based program comes from that funding. Licensed medical marijuana patients and caregivers pay the excise tax, plus state and local sales taxes, when making purchases at dispensaries.
The OJA allocation is included in OMMA’s fiscal year 2022 budget. OJA will provide quarterly project reports to OMMA.
“Non-medical cannabis use by children has been a concern across Oklahoma for generations,” OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry said. “Medical professionals don’t yet have enough research to understand the effects. In the meantime, we’re happy to play a small role in bringing this evidence-based substance abuse program to life.”
OJA will use the funds to provide an innovative, evidence-based intervention program called Functional Family Therapy.
OJA is partnering with the Oklahoma State Department of Health to bring this treatment to Oklahoma to address adolescent substance abuse and the underlying behavioral health conditions that lead teens to misuse. It is a leading treatment supported by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. FFT is being implemented in 45 states and 10 countries, Berry said.
“The drug epidemic has plagued Oklahoma communities,” said OJA Executive Director Rachel Holt. “Unfortunately, the impact includes many adolescents across the state. Substance abuse is associated with a multitude of lifelong negative impacts, including involvement within the justice system. These are multi-generational issues for Oklahoma youth, and OJA is committed to working with youth and families to help end the cycle. FFT has shown to be an effective family-based intervention.”
“Early and effective intervention for substance use can have an enormous positive influence on the lives of adolescents,” said Shel Millington, OJA Director of Behavioral Health. “Teen drug use tends to coexist with other issues, including having one or more mental health conditions and often other behavioral concerns.”
FFT is a family-based intervention, meaning adults also benefit alongside their teen.
FFT “allows eligible youth to be treated in the community,” Holt said. “Treating young people in their own homes with their families has shown to have better outcomes instead of sending them to an out-of-home placement. Investing in the right treatments makes our communities safer because it meets the youth’s needs and demonstrates decreased recidivism.”
Outcomes of FFT have led to decreased substance abuse, safer communities by decreasing juvenile recidivism, while also allowing youth to be treated in the community due to the specialized program. Additionally, the model has an expansion that has demonstrated positive outcomes to keep families together during child welfare involvement.
When Ohio adopted FFT it resulted in a 56% reduction in youth being placed outside of the home and substantially decreased the amount of subsequent serious and violent crime. The FFT program also has been shown to be fiscally responsible. Across Ohio, the program costs about $5,000 per youth compared to spending $200,000 to place a youth to the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
A request-for proposals-process will identify clinicians who will receive the training made possible by the OMMA funding.