Pubdate: Sat, 28 Mar 2015 Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH) Copyright: 2015 The Columbus Dispatch Contact: http://www.dispatch.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93 Author: Michele DeShazo LEGAL POT WOULD BE A PROBLEM FOR EVERYBODY Once again, a minority of people think that their rights should supersede the good of the whole. The working, taxpaying people will pick up the tab for those who care only about their own desires and aren't concerned with the plethora of problems that inevitably will come with the legalization of marijuana ("Board OKs next step for pot ballot issue," Dispatch article, last Saturday). Here are a few of the most obvious potential problems: Medical issues from smoking; Medical and irreversible cognitive problems of children who use marijuana; Exposure to marijuana from mother to fetus; Mental-health issues triggered by unmonitored use of marijuana (which is double, if not triple, the potency it was in the 1980s and '90s) for people with tendencies toward mental illness; Inability to monitor the level of "highness" of people under the influence of marijuana operating motor vehicles, at work or in school; Inability to detect marijuana in food; More publicly funded unemployment benefits going to people who lack motivation to hold jobs and can't interact productively in society; An increase in crime associated with drug use and addiction; More publicly funded special education to assist children with cognitive disabilities. The government health-care system, social-service programs, schools and police forces - all taxpayer-funded - will have the responsibility of taking care of and controlling all the problems caused by the irrational choices of some individuals. Can we please use our brains while they still aren't in a drug-induced fog? We should slow down and thoroughly examine the far-reaching impact of legalizing marijuana to make sure we are prepared for and are willing to afford what it will bring. MICHELE DeSHAZO Westerville - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom