Pot and teens – I’m a mom and a doctor, here’s what I tell my own teenagers

Fox News 2 March 2019
Our additional comment: “Many teenagers believe marijuana is harmless because they consider it natural – it comes from a plant rather than a lab. But heroin, psychedelic mushrooms and other harmful drugs also come from plants. Some plants are even poisonous. In addition, today’s marijuana plants are grown differently than in prior decades and can contain two to three times more tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the addictive ingredient that causes the sought-after psychoactive and mood-related effects – the marijuana high. It doesn’t help that marijuana can be consumed in different ways. It can be smoked, mixed into foods and even brewed as tea. This may be enticing to the younger population. But as research and discussions continue, it is becoming clear that both short-term and long-term marijuana use can cause serious problems with physical and mental health.”
#VoteNopeToDope

There’s been an alarming rise in teenage marijuana use across the U.S. and it’s now at its highest level in 30 years. One reason may be that 10 states and the District of Columbia now allow recreational use of pot by adults, while 33 states have legalized medical marijuana.

Lawmakers in other states are considering legalization of the drug.

There’s a common misconception that marijuana is safer than alcohol and other drugs. As a medical doctor I know that marijuana is far from harmless and can have serious damaging effects on the health of users. A growing body of research confirms this.

And as a mother of three sons (one in college), I worry that legalizing the drug for adults sends a clear message to children that they can get high on pot with no negative impact on their health.

Yet a growing number of Democratic presidential hopefuls are calling for nationwide legalization of marijuana, realizing this is a politically popular cause, particularly among young voters. These candidates appear more interested in how their endorsement of legalized pot will affect their election hopes than in how legalization will affect public health.
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