Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jun 2014
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2014 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Robert Sharpe
Page: 10A
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n497/a10.html

EDIBLE POT NOT FOR NEW USERS

Re: "My bad trip on edible marijuana - Colorado coming to grips with 
darker side of legalizing pot for the public, says Maureen Dowd," 
Friday Viewpoints.

Naive marijuana users like Maureen Dowd may be in for an unpleasant 
surprise if they choose edibles as a means of experimenting with 
legal marijuana in Colorado. The delayed onset effects can be 
overpowering. Colorado should require warning labels. First-time 
users should be discouraged from trying marijuana in edible form. The 
horror stories coming out of Colorado obscure the fact that marijuana 
consumption is safer under legalization.

Vaporization is the safest means of consuming newly legal marijuana. 
The plant is heated just enough to release the active ingredients in 
vapor form, without burning the plant and generating smoke. The vapor 
is gentle and dosage is easily controlled for minimalist effects. Not 
only is this 21st-century delivery mechanism safer, but in Colorado 
at least, so is the marijuana.

Colorado residents are able to purchase locally grown marijuana of 
known quality from legal retail stores that generate tax revenue. 
Modern-day prohibitionists seeking to use a handful of bad edible 
experiences as reason to pull the plug on legalization should ask 
themselves a simple question. Is it preferable that consumers 
purchase untaxed, unregulated and potentially unsafe marijuana from criminals?

Robert Sharpe, Policy Analyst,

Common Sense for Drug Policy, Arlington, Va.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom