Pubdate: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB) Copyright: 2004 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.winnipegsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503 Author: Russell Barth Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor. Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) LYING TO KIDS ABOUT POT I suspect one of the main reasons that pot is now more popular among teens than tobacco and alcohol is that dealers don't ask for ID. Teens can buy pot, usually from other teens, in playgrounds and schoolyards. The same was true of alcohol during the era of prohibition. Once alcohol prohibition was repealed and regulation was implemented, the problems were reduced. If kids still get their hands on alcohol and tobacco, it is the fault of adults, not kids. Another reason is kids know they have been lied to about pot. They are told that pot will rot their brain and cause cancer and schizophrenia, but the science to support those claims is just not there. Then they see a handful of people being issued licences to possess cannabis for epilepsy and chronic pain, and they realize the truth that cannabis is not the "dangerous narcotic" that adults say it is, but is, in fact, a "medicinal herb." The further danger of our current policy of lying to kids about pot is that kids think they are probably being lied to about every other drug. They don't believe us when we actually do tell them the truth about crack, heroin, and crystal meth. Our policy of lying to kids about marijuana is endangering them, especially in an unregulated system where your neighborhood pot dealer is probably able to provide them with a wide assortment of substances. The way to reduce pot use among kids is to legalize and regulate it. Then they will need a valid ID, just like alcohol and tobacco. Russell Barth, Ottawa (Until adults agree on the "truth" about pot, the mixed messages will continue.) - --- MAP posted-by: Derek