Pubdate: Fri, 09 May 2014
Source: Daily Courier (Prescott, AZ)
Copyright: 2014 Prescott Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.dcourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4036
Author: Patrick Whitehurst

PUSD SUPPORTS ANTI-POT INITIATIVE

PRESCOTT, Arizona - Prescott Unified School District Governing Board
members on Tuesday reversed an April 1 decision against a MATForce
resolution aimed at preventing recreational marijuana legalization
from appearing on a future Arizona ballot.

Board members unanimously approved the resolution during their May 6
meeting following a presentation from Yavapai County Attorney Sheila
Polk. A number of MATForce members and supporters were also in
attendance for the meeting.

"Our kids think marijuana is harmless. MATForce is the primary source
of drug education in our schools throughout Yavapai County," Polk
said. "When our educators work with our students, our students
constantly tell them marijuana is harmless; it's medicine. Of course
that comes as a result of the 2010 Arizona Medical Marijuana Act,
where we have now legalized marijuana for medical purposes."

Marijuana, she add-ed, is an addictive substance more potent than it
was decades in the past. "There are more people in treatment in this
country today for addiction to marijuana than any other illegal
substance," Polk said.

When a product becomes legal, she said, kids will use it at a higher
rate.

"States with medical marijuana have the highest rates of teen illegal
use of marijuana," Polk said. "Legalization simply means more access.
If you legalize it it's more accessible and what we know is that, when
substances are accessible, kids will use it at a higher rate."

In April, board members voted 3-2 against the resolution and cited the
political nature of the resolution in their decision.

Board member Brent Roberts, at the time, said the school board served
as a policy-making body that approved financial items and said the
board was not a political action group. He also questioned why the
board would take a stand on one issue and not take stands on other
issues, such as weapons in schools and alcohol abuse.

Polk said school board members, as community leaders, can help raise
awareness about the harms of marijuana. A number of government
agencies, including Prescott City Council, Prescott Valley Town
Council, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors and others have
already come out in favor of the resolution, Polk said.

Superintendent Dave Smucker said MATForce representatives, school
board members, PUSD staff, as well as others helped produce the new
resolution for approval during the May 6 meeting. Smucker also read a
statement from Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter, who
could not attend the recent meeting in person.

MATForce, a Yavapai County substance abuse coalition, formed in 2006
and currently has more than 300 active members, Polk said. Recently,
the coalition began an initiative designed to address what she called
the increasing use of marijuana among youth in the county.

"We address all substances and abuse, including underage drinking
throughout Yavapai County and we address all ages involved," Polk
said. "We are concerned about a lot of things, but in particular we
are concerned about kids' increased use of marijuana throughout
Yavapai County."
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MAP posted-by: Matt