Pubdate: Thu, 17 Dec 2015
Source: Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)
Copyright: 2015 The Press Democrat
Contact:  http://www.pressdemocrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/348
Author: Chris Smith

AFTER SONOMA COUNTY'S EMERALD CUP, LET'S CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF POT 
ON OUR TEENS

Perhaps we could interrupt the post-Emerald Cup euphoria to consider 
for a moment how the celebration of marijuana as a "sacred herb" 
appropriate for sale and use everywhere may impact teenagers and 
younger children.

Research on if and how today's high-potency cannabis affects young 
people's health and development appears to be all over the map. But 
I've yet to hear a parent declare, "My kid's stoned most of the time 
and, hey, he's never done better."

Our culture has struck back forcefully at the tobacco, alcohol and 
junk-food industries for baiting our kids with advertising and 
promotion that obscures the truth of the severe harm their products 
can inflict. And at this moment, as jubilant advocates of brilliantly 
branded "medical" marijuana prepare to make the drug legal for 
recreational use in California, the dominant message regarding pot 
seems to be that it's all good: organic and tasty and effective and 
compassionate.

But it's also a powerful psychoactive drug increasingly prevalent and 
available to teens and younger kids. Concerned, real-world, savvy 
adults who've worked with youths for whom marijuana use is a serious 
problem suggest that the best we can do may be to assure that a fair 
share of tax dollars generated by pot sales goes to education and treatment.

Teens are smart. Many have responded to information that goes beyond 
that typically offered up by the promoters of consumables such as 
cigarettes, alcohol and processed foods.

Kids need to be offered a complete picture of the potential effects 
of cannabis. The younger they are, it seems, the better.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom