Pubdate: Wed, 13 Nov 2013
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)
Copyright: 2013 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/qFJNhZNm
Website: http://www.stltoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/418
Author: Bob Sontag

USE CURRENT RESEARCH IN DEBATE ON LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

Thank you for Howard Weissman's commentary "Legalizing marijuana 
means children will be targeted" (Nov. 8). Points that he made are 
strongly supported by a new book written by addiction medicine 
specialists Dr. Scott Teitelbaum and Michael Nias, "Weed: Family 
Guide to Marijuana Myths and Facts."

The authors emphasize that due to crop engineering, marijuana is a 
much stronger drug than it was in decades past. The chemical that 
makes users feel high, THC, is 5 to 7 times higher than it was in the 1970s.

For young people, marijuana use is associated with addiction and 
learning problems because their brains are still developing. 
Typically, women's brains reach full development in their early 20s 
and men in their mid-20s. The authors state that "introducing drugs 
with neurotoxic effects while the brain is still developing can be 
compared to a pregnant woman drinking alcohol."

The debate on legalization of marijuana that the Post-Dispatch 
editorial board is advocating needs to include current research and 
relevant data.

Our young generation already has more than enough problems to deal with.

Bob Sontag   St. Louis County
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom