Pubdate: Tue, 13 May 2014
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2014 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Julia Kim Leff
Note: Julia Kim Leff is a Bryn Mawr School alumna currently studying 
sociology and political science at Columbia University.
Page: 11

TEENS WANT REAL TALK ABOUT POT FROM THEIR PARENTS

Last month, when Gov. Martin O'Malley signed historic legislation to 
decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, Maryland 
was abuzz. Politicians, the media, advocates and critics voiced their 
opinions (both supporting and opposing the bill) loud and clear. But 
there was a critical voice missing from this conversation: the voice 
of a teenager.

It's widely understood that decriminalization is the first step 
toward legalization, and teens understand all too well how this will 
play out in conversations at the dinner table and in drug education 
classrooms at school. Adults will say, "we support Governor O'Malley, 
and we see the merits to decriminalizing marijuana, yet it is still 
never OK for you to possess or smoke pot."

This mixed message is old news to teenagers, who have heard it all before:

"Well yes, sweetie, marijuana can have legitimate benefits and can be 
used for medical purposes, but that isn't for you."

"Of course driving while high is unacceptable," they say, "we just 
don't have PSAs about it like drunken driving because it isn't a priority."

OK, "so pot may not be a gateway drug," said National Institute on 
Drug Abuse facilitators in their Chat Day to high-schoolers, "but don't do it."

Clearly, adults and our society as a whole are sending mixed 
messages. Is it any surprise then that marijuana use is steadily on 
the rise among young adults? The 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and 
Health by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that 
use among people ages 18 to 25 increased to 18.7 percent - nearly one 
in five - from 16.6 percent in 2008.

As teenagers begin to doubt the words of their parents and teachers, 
they must figure out on their own if pot is dangerous. 
Unsurprisingly, they turn to their peers, who engage with their 
curiosity rather than shutting them down.

Yet, a teen's peer is most likely to be a biased source and sometimes 
an unreliable one. According to a Gallup poll, an overwhelming 67 
percent of the 18- to 29-year-olds surveyed support legalizing 
marijuana. Coupling that support with the fact that use is on the 
rise, young people are no longer seeing marijuana as a real threat or 
danger. It's obvious then that when we turn to our friends to talk 
about marijuana, an exchange of ideas will lead to arguments that 
solely promote marijuana's beneficial or harmless attributes.

You may not buy the validity of these arguments, but can you really 
blame your children for accepting them?

We don't expect our parents to support more progressive legislation 
or legalization of marijuana. (Although, according to polls, more and 
more of you support it every year.) We fully understand that you have 
your own thoughts and experiences. We respect the fact that you have 
fears that "only a parent" can have. We are not asking you to change 
your ways because we fully respect your ability to make level-headed 
and reasonable judgments.

But just as we respect you, we are asking that you respect us. All we 
ask is that Maryland's new law sparks a conversation, not a lecture. 
You have taught us to think critically and use our voices, so when we 
choose to engage with you about this topic, listen. When we ask 
questions that deserve a legitimate response, answer. If we want to 
discuss the positive effects of legalizing marijuana with you, be 
tolerant of our opinions.

Intolerance could come at a cost. If you shut down your children 
every time they try to approach you, you risk being labeled "old," 
"uncaring" or "out of touch." While the goal of your intolerance 
might be to teach that under all circumstances, pot is a monster, 
there's a real risk that when your kids look at your narrow-minded 
attitude, the only monster they'll see is you.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom