cannabisnews.com: 'Nightmare' of Medical Marijuana Threatens Kids
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'Nightmare' of Medical Marijuana Threatens Kids
Posted by CN Staff on February 22, 2011 at 06:00:14 PT
By Cherrie Brady, Laura Needham and Susan Smith
Source: Billings Gazette
Helena, MT --  Montana kids are in trouble! After speaking with principals, educators, parents and kids across the state, it's clear our schools are suffering the devastating consequences of passing the medical marijuana law. Montana is now No. 2 in the nation for teen marijuana use. Our situation is serious.One principal described it as a “nightmare.” Another said “It has crossed all boundaries, even star athletes are using it.” They are finding it impossible to tell kids it's harmful. Many kids don't even believe it is still illegal, citing storefronts and signs all over town as evidence.
Kids are coming to school stoned or not coming at all. Policing it is a joke. We were told one high school had 10 drug cases in two days. Pot stays in the system so long that when kids test positive they can say they had it last weekend instead of at lunch. It is now in candy, sodas, suckers, etc., so they can be using it in the lunchroom and no one can prove it.Students with cards have excess marijuana to sell. Another student is supplying his peers from the unlimited medical marijuana his father has access to. It has become easier to get than alcohol. Many students have older siblings or friends with cards. This has provided easy access even for elementary kids. A sixth-grade teacher said she has kids coming to school stoned. Educators note the apathy that comes with frequent marijuana use. It impacts their attendance, academic progress and involvement in extracurricular activities. Their main focus becomes smoking pot.Our youth are being told this drug is a natural plant and is harmless. Yet we know marijuana is the No. 1 drug for which kids are in treatment. In 2010, the number of teenage patients in emergency room visits jumped 136.4 percent at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, which named marijuana as its major abuse substance. Studies suggest marijuana use in adolescents doubles the risk of schizophrenia in later life. The human costs are potentially huge.Does any of this sound like what Montanans voted for? Where in the voter pamphlet did it mention marijuana penetrating our schools and putting our kids at risk? Did it mention storefronts or signage? Where did it say we would be opening the door for students to become drug pushers? Did it mention we would get an industry that would be normalizing and legalizing marijuana?Legislators should take a stand for our kids. This isn't a partisan issue — it is a moral issue. Because it is dangerous and not even close to what Montanans voted for, they should be insisting on repealing this law, not trying to regulate. How do you regulate a federally illegal drug industry estimated at a billion dollars in Montana?Attempting to regulate this mess is a proven mistake. No state has been able to regulate this successfully. The headlines say it all: The Huffington Post — Medical Marijuana in Colorado: Judge Voids Board of Health Decision, California Supreme Court Strikes Down Medical Pot Limits; The Colorado Independent — Suit filed to overturn marijuana laws.While we mess around with trying to regulate we are losing a generation of kids. Is it worth the risk?As parents and grandparents we should be alarmed! Montana schools must come forward and fight for a repeal. While we argue about the rights of individuals to use marijuana, the rights of our kids to have a safe school environment have all but disappeared. It is the responsibility of every school to protect their students at all cost.There is no valid excuse for staying silent while so much is at stake.Cherrie Brady, Laura Needham and Susan Smith represent safecommunitysafekids.org, a Billings-based organization.Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT)Author: Cherrie Brady, Laura Needham and Susan SmithPublished:  February 22, 2011Copyright: 2011 The Billings GazetteContact: speakup billingsgazette.comWebsite: http://www.billingsgazette.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/opZsqlTxCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #14 posted by dongenero on February 23, 2011 at 11:50:34 PT
correction to #13
sorry, trying to get some work done, mixed up my CNews articles about MT and OR.Montana population 974989, 38,269 cannabis card holders, 3.92% of the population. Still a drop in the bucket compared to pharmaceutical prescriptions.
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Comment #13 posted by dongenero on February 23, 2011 at 10:44:18 PT
pharma drug use, to put cannabis in perspective
38,269 medical cannabis user in a state of 3,825,651, is about 1% of the population.Nationwide according o the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db42.htm ,48.3% of the US population had a prescription for 1 drug in the last month, 31.2% had 2 or more prescriptions, 10.7% had 5 or more prescriptions.Extrapolate this to Oregon's population, over 1,800,000 Oregonians had a drug prescription in the last month. Over 380,000 Oregonians had over 5 different drugs prescribed- 10 times as many as there are cannabis recommendation holders. The average senior fills 38 prescriptions annually.
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Comment #12 posted by The GCW on February 22, 2011 at 15:06:03 PT
SUCCESS
"They are finding it impossible to tell kids it's harmful."Part of what cannabis activists do is inform the truth about cannabis. The truth is that cannabis is a RELATIVELY safe plant. By spreading this truth so well, especially to youth, it is very difficult for adult prohibitionists to perpetuate the lie. -So now it's impossilbe to LIE to the kids. (& it makes the pro's squirm funny) Shucks,I call that success.THANK YOU INTERNET!
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on February 22, 2011 at 14:11:23 PT
Bob
It's been a long time. It's good to see you. 
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Comment #10 posted by boballen131313 on February 22, 2011 at 13:28:05 PT:
Born and Raised in Montana
Since moving to Adelaide South Australia, I am moved by the depth of sorrow that Australians feel for their dead coming home draped in flags. I am also quite amazed at the despicable coverage of the returning body bags to my home state of Montana. But, the kicker is to read that some folks are having hemorrhoids over Medical Marijuana. My Mum went through several rounds of chemo and radiation in her fight against lung cancer and marijuana was essential for appetite and soothing pain relief. If Montanans want to fight against something evil and destructive... Oppose the Wars! Leave the medical marijuana to those in need. 
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Comment #9 posted by Canis420 on February 22, 2011 at 12:10:19 PT:
Chicken Little
is alive and well in Montana it seems
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Comment #8 posted by CropReport on February 22, 2011 at 11:58:02 PT
No state has been able to... wha wait what?
"Attempting to regulate this mess is a proven mistake. No state has been able to regulate this successfully."Yes, an unregulated marijuana market is so much more effective at keeping cannabis out of the hands of children. And you should edit that second sentence to read, "ONE state has been able to regulate this successfully." Colorado has a fully functioning tax and regulate schema that is putting the herb in the hands of responsible adult consumers, while at the same time freeing up the states policing resources to deal with real crime.Cherrie, Laura and Susan need to turn off the Faux News Network and read a real newspaper. 
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Comment #7 posted by museman on February 22, 2011 at 09:25:00 PT
Treatment?
"Yet we know marijuana is the No. 1 drug for which kids are in treatment."So, how do you "treat" the use of a benign herb that has less harm in it than the errors in human knowledge being taught, and the truths not being taught in school?How do you treat 'drug use' of something that is not a drug?"Treatment" is one of those words with different definitions -one from the dictionary of the english language, the other from the handbook of government propaganda -used specifically to employ a group of "professionals" with special skills that, without mis-defining many words, have no place in a rational, sane , society.To 'treat' a 'drug user' one must de-humanize, and stigmatize the victim of this government illusion. First they must be ostracized, imprisoned, fired from their jobs (or with 'youth' removed from the association of their peers into special schools created just for the 'delinquents.') Then when they have been made to have little choice, they are offered 'treatment' as an alternative to continued governmental harassment.The thing about lies, is that you have to keep making up more lies to cover the tracks of the other lies -"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."The only solution is legalization. Period. Stop allowing the ruling class its power over us. Just say no to thugs.Whenever they level their lies, counter with truth.They can't handle the truth. Liars never can.Fire 'em all. Make it illegal for lawyers to hold office, and ex-military to be cops. Lets have some people government.LEGALIZE FREEDOM 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 22, 2011 at 08:12:53 PT
Dan B
That's right. Much love back at you.
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Comment #5 posted by Dan B on February 22, 2011 at 07:29:10 PT
Hi, FoM
It's good to see you, and I hope all is well for you, too. It has been far too long.Things are okay for me. We all have things to deal with, but we deal with those things, and we continue with our lives until our lives are discontinued. Much love.Dan B 
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Comment #4 posted by Dan B on February 22, 2011 at 07:25:11 PT
A Billion Dollars in a State of a Million People
"How do you regulate a federally illegal drug industry estimated at a billion dollars in Montana?"This is absolutely correct. It is impossible to regulate that which is illegal. That is one reason why it is crucial that we legalize. Only then can we reap the full benefits of this billion dollar industry.Dan B
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on February 22, 2011 at 07:22:53 PT
Dan B
It's great to see you. I hope all is well.
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Comment #2 posted by Dan B on February 22, 2011 at 07:21:48 PT
#1 Drug kids are in treatment for
Indeed, it is the #1 "drug" that kids are in treatment for. And, in all of those cases that "treatment" is both required by a law that doesn't understand cannabis, and is more harmful to kids than cannabis ever could be.This kind of alarmist drivel is disgraceful. Dan B
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on February 22, 2011 at 07:06:02 PT
MARIHUANA, assassin of youth!!!!
Excuse me, where's the bodies?
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