Pubdate: Mon, 12 Mar 2012
Source: Salem News (MA)
Copyright: 2012 Eagle Tribune Publishing Company
Contact: http://www.salemnews.com/contactus/local_story_015132129.html
Website: http://www.salemnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3466
Author: Ethan Forman, Staff Writer

DANVERSCARES STANDS UP AGAINST MARIJUANA USE

DANVERS - The DanversCares prevention coalition has issued a position 
statement in response to proposed bills that would legalize marijuana 
or make it available for medical use.

The statement opposes "any policy or initiative that directly or 
indirectly promotes marijuana use among youths."

DanversCares represents school officials, police, businesspeople and 
residents who meet monthly and seek to educate the public on ways to 
cut down on teen drug and alcohol use and other risky behaviors. 
According to the position statement, the coalition does not have a 
problem with medical use of marijuana, with a prescription, in 
patients with life-threatening diseases. But it says marijuana needs 
to be studied just as any other drug would be, and it should not be 
up to legislators or voters to decide if a substance should be 
legalized as a medical drug. Prevention advocates were slow to 
respond to the 2008 change in the law, which decriminalized 
possession of small amounts of marijuana, coalition coordinator Peg 
Sallade said. Now, they want to get information out about the harmful 
effects of marijuana use.

"The concern is since the decriminalization of marijuana, kids think 
it is legalized," said police Sgt. Robert Bettencourt, a member of 
the DanversCares coalition.

The sale of marijuana is still illegal, no matter the amount, 
Bettencourt said. With the talk of it becoming legal as a 
prescription medicine, "the perception to young kids is it's good," he said.

In a 2010 youth risk survey at Danvers High, about 30 percent of 
those surveyed responded they had used marijuana within the past 30 
days, Sallade said, while the statewide average was 27 percent.

Only 20 percent of the teens said they had used tobacco.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart