Pubdate: Mon, 18 Mar 2013
Source: Columbian, The (WA)
Copyright: 2013 The Columbian Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.columbian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/92
Author: Ann T. Donnelly

LEGALIZED POT WILL BRING PROBLEMS

The Colorado Springs news outlet CBS4 reported on March 6 that a 
prominent local drug testing company, Conspire, has documented a 
spike in children using pot following the passage of Colorado's Amendment 64.

Conspire is now receiving requests for drug testing from school 
districts on a weekly basis, not monthly as before. One high school 
student states, "I've seen a lot more people just walking down the 
street smoking joints." Conspire staff are finding unprecedented 
levels of THC in kids: "a typical kid is between 50 and 100 
nanograms. Now we're seeing these up in the over 500, 700, 800." Jo 
McGuire of Conspire describes the danger to the human brain: "In the 
past we've used the term stoner or fried ... because you literally 
take your brain and you rob it of the ability to fire the way it's 
supposed to." McGuire expresses alarm that these stoned high school 
kids are driving after school.

Exposure to even small amounts of pot in kids is associated with 
schizophrenia. Furthermore, sufferers from mental illness, including 
adults, who smoke pot counteract their anti-psychotic drugs, risking 
a mental illness crisis.

Washington voters will soon recognize the error we made legalizing 
this "recreational" substance.

Ann T. Donnelly

Vancouver
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom