Pubdate: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Copyright: 2014 Los Angeles Times Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 Author: Mark Johnston Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n725/a06.html THE POT BANDWAGON Re "Legal marijuana: What do you tell your kids?," Sept. 1 The article provides several examples of a substantial increase in the demand from parents and community groups for resources to discuss marijuana usage with kids post-legalization in Colorado. Why has legalization of marijuana increased the desire to communicate with children about drug abuse? Most of us might initially agree with intervention specialist Kelly Kerby, who was quoted as saying, "We're making it legal and that means it's OK." However, parents are now seeing the great difference between "legal" and "OK." "Legal" is the lowest common denominator agreeable to the majority. "OK" is the higher standard each individual must set to achieve happiness; it includes personal decisions on religion, responsible drug use and more. Each individual has a unique background, and so their decisions to achieve happiness will be unique. Attempts to regulate these unique choices to a common legal standard breed disrespect for the law and government. Teaching our children the difference between "legal" and "OK," and the need for each individual to make responsible decisions, would be a major step in combating drug abuse and many other social ills. Mark Johnston Huntington Beach - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom