It’s complicated
Legalization is not a simple matter [‘Legalization realization,’ Sept. 23]. As Kevin Sabet points out, how this issue impacts our youth is critical. The marijuana of today is not the same as 20 years ago—the THC levels are 20 to 30 percent—10 times more potent than when I was in high school. The access is easy and perception of harm is non-existent. Yet, the reality is that marijuana is extremely harmful to a developing teen brain. It changes the brain permanently.
My concern is by making marijuana legal we send a huge message to youth that marijuana is not harmful. Are we willing to pay the cost for this error? It will be substantial. Parents aren’t aware of the harm and impact—making them aware is the responsible thing to do. What a 30-year-old does in their free time is their business, but I care too much about our teens to suggest that legalization is a good thing. As a responsible society let’s do more work around this issue before we make more mistakes. Colorado is not a good example of what to do. More research and regulation is needed before California should consider putting our youth at risk.
—Linda Henn, via pacificsun.com
