Pubdate: Mon, 18 Jun 2012
Source: Traverse City Record-Eagle (MI)
Copyright: 2012 Associated Press
Contact: http://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/local_story_128175513.html
Website: http://www.record-eagle.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1336

Drugs

EASING OF POT LAWS POSES CHALLENGE FOR PARENTS

DENVER (AP) - Michael Jolton was a young father with a 5-year-old son 
when Colorado legalized medical marijuana in 2000. Now he's got three 
boys, the oldest near adulthood, and finds himself repeatedly 
explaining green-leafed marijuana ads and "free joint" promotions 
endemic in his suburban hometown.

"I did not talk to my oldest son about marijuana when he was 8 years 
old. We got to talk about fun stuff. Now with my youngest who's 8, we 
have to talk about this," said Jolton, a consultant from Lakewood.

A marijuana opponent with a just-say-no philosophy, Jolton, 48, is 
among legions of American parents finding the "drug talk" 
increasingly problematic as more states allow medical marijuana or 
decriminalize its use. Colorado and Washington state have measures on 
their Nov. 6 ballot that would go a further step and legalize 
recreational use of marijuana for adults.

Parent-child conversations about pot "have become extraordinarily 
complicated," said Stephen Pasierb, president of the Partnership at 
Drugfree.org, which provides resources for parents concerned about 
youth drug use.

Legalization and medical use of marijuana have "created a perception 
among kids that this is no big deal," Pasierb said. "You need a calm, 
rational conversation, not yelling and screaming, and you need the 
discipline to listen to your child." Ethan Nadelmann, executive 
director of the pro-legalization Drug Policy Alliance, says the 
family conversations "are becoming a lot more real" because most of 
today's parents likely tried marijuana themselves.

"Parents know a lot more about what they're talking about, and kids 
probably suspect that their parents did this when they were younger 
and didn't get in trouble with drugs," Nadelmann said. "There's still 
hypocrisy, but the level of honesty and frankness in the parent-child 
dialogue about marijuana is increasing every year." The Haskins 
family of Olympia, Wash., provides a vivid example of how the 
conversations have evolved.

Sarena Haskins, 41, and her sister are both longtime users of pot for 
health reasons, and Sarena's 12-year-old daughter, Hannah, has become 
an advocate of medical marijuana to the point of posting a video 
online expressing her views.

Yet Sarena Haskins opposes the ballot measure that would legalize 
recreational use of pot in Washington and advises Hannah to avoid 
experimentation with the drug.

"I'm a little a little nervous about those conversations, but I'm 
having them now," Haskins said. "I tell Hannah it's not a smart 
choice, that she needs to focus on school ... You can't just be a pot 
head and be lazy."

Another longtime parent/pot user is Tim Beck, a Detroit insurance 
broker who succeeded in getting a marijuana legalization measure on 
the city's ballot for Nov. 6. The measure wouldn't supersede the 
state law against non-medical marijuana use, but would let adults 
possess small amounts of pot on private property without facing 
arrest under city ordinances.

Beck said his 17-year-old daughter, Maria, who is now studying at the 
Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, observed his pot smoking throughout 
her youth.

"I decided I wouldn't hide it ... no big deal, no lectures. It's 
something she grew up with," said Beck, 60. "I don't know whether 
she's tried marijuana or not, and I don't care. If we detect any 
evidence of dysfunctional behavior, which we never have, then we'd 
focus on that."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom