I was reading an article about Legalizing Marijuana, in “Well Adolescence”, Talking With Teenagers About Marijuana. By Lisa Damour, May 11, 2016. Marijuana is perceived to be a safe recreational drug. This is the deception of the pro-marijuana movement some have chosen to believe. They have told us over and over again marijuana is safe, in fact, it has been stated so often that we started to believe and accept it as fact. Just because it is considered safe, however, does not mean we have to agree. Here is another aspect to consider, it is being utilized by our children/teens and it does side effects/consequences. This article is about talking to teens about marijuana and the effects of using it, in the hope that they will see the dangers, take heed to warnings and listen

Is Marijuana safe and should it be legalized? I do not agree with legalizing marijuana and contrary to this article, I do not believe that children are going to listen to the instruction of adults.

Marijuana has been proven damaging to the brain, especially for our youth. Even if it were a controlled substance, adults and teenagers alike will still gain, possess and utilize this substance/drug just as they have in the passed. Making it legal may line some pockets, or minimize repercussions or penalties if a person is caught using, growing or selling it, but it does not protect our children’s health and/or brain functions, and children generally do not heed the warnings of adults and/or other authoritative figures. Even if they are instructed of the hazards/dangers of using marijuana, peer pressure from others makes it a forgettable discussion on the topic.

According to Madeline H. Meier, “studies have proven that persistent use of cannabis of over 20 years have been associated with neuropsychological decline, and a greater decline was evident for more persistent user’s, as well as studies showing impairment of learning, memory, and executive functions in adolescent cannabis users. Accumulating evidence suggests that long-term, heavy cannabis use may cause enduring neuropsychological impairment”.

Damour, L. (May 11, 2016). Adolescence. Talking With Teenagers About Marijuana Retrieved from https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/05/11/talking-with-teenagers-about-marijuana/

Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife vol. 109 no. 40  Madeline H. Meier,  E2657–E2664, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1206820109 Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/109/40/E2657.full