Pubdate: Sat, 15 Jul 2017
Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA)
Copyright: 2017 The Fresno Bee
Contact:  http://www.fresnobee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/161
Author: Garry Bredefeld

FRESNO DID THE RIGHT THING WITH ITS MARIJUANA BAN

Proposition 64, also known as the Marijuana Legalization Initiative,
not surprisingly passed statewide in November 2016 but wisely failed
in Fresno County with 54 percent of the people voting against
legalization. The district I represent strongly opposed Prop. 64.

It now allows individuals 21 years or older to legally smoke marijuana
and to grow up to six plants in their home, even if they are next to
elementary schools. What many people don't know is that Prop. 64 also
allows recreational marijuana dispensaries or businesses to be opened
throughout the state unless a municipality officially prohibits or
bans them, which a majority of the Fresno City Council and mayor
wisely did last month.

While I support medicinal marijuana for people who are truly ill, I'm
concerned that recreational marijuana advocates, in their zeal to have
unrestricted access to this drug, overlook important studies that have
documented the many potential dangers of this drug.

Adolescents clearly go through many biological, developmental and
social changes as they grow. Young people's brains are still
developing until their mid 20s. We know from numerous clinical studies
that smoking marijuana affects their memory, ability to learn and
focus, and can decrease neuropsychological functioning.

Kids who are smoking marijuana also have poor school performance,
higher rates of absenteeism and increased mental health issues such as
depression and anxiety. We also know that ongoing usage of marijuana
with any user can pose risks for immune-system damage, birth defects,
cardiovascular disease, stroke, respiratory problems and lung cancer.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that "When people
begin using marijuana as teenagers, the drug may reduce thinking,
memory, and learning functions and affect how brain builds connections
between the areas necessary for functions. Marijuana's effects on
these abilities may last a long time or even be permanent."

It cites a Duke University study demonstrating loss of IQ points in
teens with heavy marijuana usage.

The legalization of marijuana has sent the terrible message to young
people that getting high is not a problem and is sanctioned by the
state. Following Colorado's legalization of marijuana, there's been a
rise in youth arrests, disciplinary problems in school, and numerous
medical problems associated with its usage.

NIDA notes that edibles have become popular. These take longer to
digest and produce a high which can have very harmful and dangerous
effects. By allowing the legal ease of acquiring this drug, we would
be contributing to the destruction of so many young people in our city.

Many who are for Prop. 64 cite all the revenue it will generate. Some
foolishly believe that this revenue, "drug money" as I refer to it,
would be beneficial to pay for municipal services.

What they fail to understand is that by allowing these recreational
dispensaries and the promotion of marijuana usage only brings with it
numerous added costs, burden, and consequences that will offset any
drug money revenues.

With the increase of marijuana usage, there will be increased drugged
driving and fatal car accidents. Despite this, there is no specific
protocol for determining if a driver is impaired due to marijuana usage.

There will clearly be need for greater law enforcement, which has
major and significant costs. Marijuana dispensaries already have and
will always be a prime target for robberies and increased criminal
behavior, which will further increase demands on law enforcement and
make the neighborhoods unsafe where these dispensaries exist.

There will also be increased need for medical care and drug treatment
programs.

All too often, the rise in drug usage is seen in poorer neighborhoods.
One of the official arguments against Prop. 64 was made by Bishop Ron
Allen of the International Faith Based Coalition which represents
5,000 inner-city churches.

Bishop Allen called Prop.64 an "attack on minorities" and asked, "Why
are there no limits on the number of pot shops that can be opened in
poor neighborhoods? We will now have a string of pot shops to go with
the two liquor stores on every block, but we still can't get a grocery
store. Proposition 64 will make every parent's job tougher."

If the Fresno City Council had allowed these recreational marijuana
dispensaries to sprout up throughout our community, where would it
end? One can reasonably ask, if marijuana is now legal and we can
generate government money for that drug, why not legalize opiates,
heroin or cocaine and make a lot more money?

The weakening of our drug laws that now allow marijuana to be used and
sold recreationally in conjunction with the weakening of our criminal
laws, such as Propositions 57, 47, and AB 109, have continued to make
our communities unsafe.

Adding to this slippery slope of further societal decay is the
legalizing of marijuana ,which we know will only cause tremendous
damage to our youth, problems in our schools and workplaces, increased
crime and traffic accidents/fatalities, and make our neighborhoods
unsafe.

It's time to stop the decline. The City Council members did this when
they wisely turned away recreational marijuana dispensaries.

Garry Bredefeld is a psychologist who represents District 6 on the
Fresno City Council.
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MAP posted-by: Matt