Posted on August 16, 2022 View all news
By Joe Tilton
Before the Initiative Petition was put before voters to legalize recreational marihuana, some schools would not take a stand on the issue. Now, a letter composed January 9th begins, “We, the Superintendents of the 22 school districts in Macomb County are writing to request that you prohibit commercialized marijuana operations (recreational of medical) in our communities.”
The letter to communities cites negative results in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia. Authors cite an upturn in marihuana use among youth ages 12-17. “Colorado currently has the highest ranking for first-time marijuana use among youth, 12-17.” Statistics from Oregon noted that 62-percent of 11th graders in that state report “very easy” access to marijuana.
The part that appears to be the biggest concern coming from the schools is what the drug does to the developing-teen brain. “Marijuana use is strongly associated with academic underperformance,” the letter reads. They continue with, “Developing brains are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of marijuana, including damage to the areas of the brain connected with learning, attention, decision making and social behavior.”
Increased potency is another reason the superintendents ask students to stay off the drug and for parents to keep it out of their homes. They quote research showing one in six teens who use pot become addicted.
Other points made include, “More teens enter drug treatment for marijuana than any other drug. Marijuana is involved in 63-percent of suspensions in Colorado and 58-percent of expulsions are due to pot use.”
As information continues to come in from states where recreational pot is legal, it’s been discovered that marijuana-related hospitalizations increased 148-percent after legalization.
The letter to all elected officials of Macomb County concludes with, “We are deeply concerned about the safety of the nearly 140,000 students in our Macomb County schools. We ask that elected officials in municipalities across our county protect them by prohibiting commercialized marijuana businesses.”
Chippewa Valley Schools crafted a Board of Education Resolution warning that legalization sends a message to youth that marijuana is a safe drug, which it is not. They quote “Monitoring the Future, 2019 National HIDTA Reports.” This Resolution strongly adds that research is showing worsening depression and serious mental-health issues from smoking pot or using edibles.
This reporter is attending a two-day national meeting called the National Marihuana Initiative, where top experts and marihuana researchers are presenting the latest data. An exclusive report will be filed for our next edition on marihuana that flies in the face of legalization efforts, and proves that marihuana is not only dangerous, but could be the drug that brings our nation down.
What will we do with the increased numbers suffering from mental illness over marijuana use? Already there’s a severe shortage of inpatient care facilities for people with mental illness, which amounts to a public-health crisis. Current numbers of mentally-ill residents is over 8-million, with facilities to care for them decreasing.
With the extra burden on courts, supported by tax money and numbers of mental health patients increasing from pot uses, marihuana could be the most destructive, long-lasting drug ever. Opioids kill users fairly quickly. Marihuana users who lose their minds can live in that condition for decades while drawing on resources from hard-working, non-pot users.
Michigan, you made a mistake.
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