Is legalization bad for our kids?

September 9th, 2009 | By Reverend

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To me, it seems like the strongest voices and the most well organized legalization groups are asking for “The legalization of marijuana for responsible adults”.. That is the common theme of the legalization movement.
NOT to legalize it for children, not to encourage teens to use, or children to use. It is to get it out of the hands of the black market for these reasons.

1. To stop arresting people for a victimless crime
2. To relieve the burden that prohibition put on our treasury, our tax payers, and our friends and family who get their life wreck based solely on prohibition. When someone gets a marijuana charge on their record, student loans, military, and many jobs are off-limits after getting such a charge. Even teens, like me when I was 19. Got busted for possessing a harmless plant (marijuana), and I got rejected for the military and many college benefits.
3. To get it out of the black market so cartels and drug dealers arent getting rich. Selling it in a legal market, destroys the black market, similar to prohibition in the 30′s. Ending prohibition, destroyed much of the mafia’s activities.
4. To get it out of the hands of children, by putting it into a similar environment as a liquor store. No ID, no buds, 18+ only.

More kids have access to marijuana an illegal drug, than they do to alcohol which is a legal drug, says a recent government survey. Why? Because a black market provides to children, and a legal market doesn’t.

This clip is from “HIGH The True Tale of American Marijuana”

http://www.truehigh.com/

And this is a childrens book that is spoken about on that video.  It is basically a way to talk to kids about marijuana, from a non-reefer madness approach.  The book is called “It’s Just a Plant” by Ricardo Cortes.    (see this video, to hear some of the book read)

That term “It’s Just a Plant” can also be found in the movie  “Humboldt County”.    That is a really good show!

So no, I don’t think that marijuana legalization is bad for kids.  I think it’s going to be much like alcohol legalization, and I truly believe it will be LESS available to children in a legal market for adults.

If you disagree, feel free to comment.