Pubdate: Thu, 19 Dec 2013
Source: Daily Camera (Boulder, CO)
Copyright: 2013 The Daily Camera.
Contact:  http://www.dailycamera.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/103
Author: Erika Stutzman, for the Camera editorial board

BRAVE NEW POT WORLD: ONGOING STUDY OF TEEN USAGE IS RIGHT ON

So the federal government shows that the percentage of high schoolers
who smoke marijuana is slowly rising even though their use of alcohol
and tobacco cigarettes is falling. And it's got a bone to pick with us
about that, Colorado.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy pointed out
that Colorado and Washington are now in the process of legalizing
recreational marijuana for adults. But it wants a full accounting of
how this will impact young people's usage of marijuana -- percentages
are generally in the low 20s for older teens -- and mentioned those
two states by name.

Those who fear the feds are just using this as an excuse to keep the
drug off the legal market should calm down. We should look at the
numbers, now and in the future.

Those who favor the legalization of marijuana do so for various
reasons. The failed "war on drugs" that has resulted in mass
incarceration is a good one. Others claim its moderate use is safer
than alcohol and cigarettes when it comes to public health.

But there's no credible argument that marijuana usage is safe for the
developing adolescent brain. And legalizing recreational marijuana in
Washington and in Colorado was done in ways that specifically spelled
out the goal that teenagers won't be sold legal pot.

According to the Boulder County Youth Risk Behavior Study: "Current
marijuana use remained steady among Boulder County high school
students from 2003 to 2011, while current alcohol use decreased by 8
percentage points, and current cigarette use decreased by 5
percentage points." Conversely, in 2005, 64 percent of them
considered marijuana "risky"; in 2011, only 52 percent of them
considered it "risky."

In short, at least locally in a Colorado county where medical
marijuana is already plentiful, it seems as if local teens are
increasingly convinced that marijuana is not risky. Yet despite those
perceptions, and over the same time, Boulder County teenagers weren't
using marijuana any more than they were earlier in the decade. While
their perception of risk declined, their actual usage stayed steady.

There's no reason for the floodgates of legal marijuana to open up to
teenagers. But there's no evidence we should be afraid of the facts
about trends in youth pot use, either.
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MAP posted-by: Matt