Obama admins chief drug policy official Gil Kerlikowske has said that legalizing cannabis for medical purposes has given a bad example to the teens in Seattle. The Obama admin, is clearly trying to suggest several things with this accusation. 1) That cannabis use is bad, and 2) That young adults shouldn't have as much right to a safer alternative then alcohol or cigarettes, that adults have.
Sadly though, as any sane and logical person knows, pot use by teenagers is not at any "30 year high". What is at a 30 year high, is the confidence of the entire cannabis community, including from young adults. Cannabis education and reform has gone farther then just reaching the medical community. It has helped people world over to recognize the validity of cannabis as a regular addition to a persons diet and if needed, their medicinal regime.
Cannabis is not a bad or poisonous plant. It does not turn adults, or teenagers, into lazy or psychotic people. And while I can understand a small increase in the total amount of teens who have tried and/or utilize cannabis for recreation or pain, there is no way that there is a 30 year high on how many of them use. It may seem this way when the feds twist it to benefit their cause. While in reality, it is just that teens are not afraid to admit they have tried or that they use cannabis. They know it won't kill them, and many of them have talked with their parents and understand the need to be a productive society member, with or without cannabis. They also understand that the laws in Seattle are more lenient on people who possess cannabis, because cannabis is not that bad.
Granted, I do suggest that teenagers should use cannabis. There are already so many things going on for a teen in high school, they might as well wait till college anyways... Though if it came down to a choice of teens drinking, or popping pharmaceutical pills, I would prefer to find out a teen was using cannabis. Not to mention, the Obama admin is suggesting that "12th graders" are whom are using the most. That means they are talking about 17 and 18 year olds. Last time I checked, and 18 year old is an adult in our country, which means they are free to consume what they please, and to make their own choices. They are officially not "children" anymore, and are the youthful adult party. 17 year olds are not that far off, and so long as education statistics are not dropping with more teens admitting to trying or using cannabis, then there should be no beef.
I don't expect this comment from the Obama admin to even create much of a ripple in the big pond, but I still wanted to comment on it. It seems so interesting to me that the propaganda continues....
You can read more at this article from the Pi
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/231746.asp
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