Dear Krista,
Here are the responses to your questions. The following statements are not my opinion but factual information based on peer-reviewed studies and research, scientific evidence, statistics and data. All resources are referenced below via website links.
1.)What are some of the reasons that parents should think twice before signing the petition for medical marijuana? There are several reasons no one should sign a petition to legalize marijuana for any purpose medical or otherwise.
FIRST- No major medical association supports the use of marijuana for “medical” purposes nor recreational/street use.
( American Medical Association, American Cancer Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Glaucoma Society, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institute of Drug Abuse(NIDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service ,Association(SAMHSA), Food&DrugAssociation (FDA), American Academy of Ophthalmology, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), American Society of Addiction Medicine Parkinson's Epilepsy Foundation (new letter from American Epilepsy Foundation President)
SECOND Over 10 prescription FDA approved cannabis-based MEDICINES already exist some for over 20 years. The fact is marijuana is not the best medicine nor doctors’ first choice of medicine because cannabis-based medicines aren’t as effective as many other prescription medicines or even over-the-counter medications depending on an individual’s medical needs.
THIRD Charlotte’s Web marijuana approved by the Florida Legislature for epilepsy is proving to cause more harm than good for the majority of the children using this as medicine. Children’s Hospital in Colorado reported that “artisanal high CBD" oils resulted in no significant reduction in seizures in the majority of patients and in those for whom the parents reported improvements, these improvements were not associated with improvement in electroencephalograms (EEGs), the gold standard monitoring test for people with epilepsy.” (New letter from American Epilepsy Foundation President
FOURTH- States that have legalized marijuana for ‘medical’ purposes are the first to obtain full legalization proving the point that this isn’t about medicine nor a person’s health. The data from Colorado should compel parents to join the movement against legalization. In Colorado, youth usage has significantly increased as has the dropout rate from high school, crime, and homeless rates … to mention a few consequences of legalizing ‘medical’ marijuana. And, parents should be warned that the likelihood of being in a car accident involving a marijuana-impaired drivers has also significantly increased to include a fatal car accident.
FIFTH- Our country has spent millions of dollars the past several decades researching marijuana as a medicine. The scientific evidence are all the same marijuana utilized from the whole plant form is NOT A MEDICINE. The public is not hearing the results because the general media is not publicizing these outcomes. LEGALIZATION HAS BECOME A POLITICAL ISSUE NOT A MEDICAL ISSUE BASED ON HEALTH, SAFETY and MEDICAL STANDARDS.
(ARTICLE: Current research has fallen far short of criteria required by the FDA to approve any drug, much less for conditions not considered acutely life-threatening and for which there are already many other effective and safe treatments. The variation from state to state as to which medical conditions are approved for cannabinoid use is not because lawmakers have ignored scientific evidence. Rather, it reflects the absence of such evidence and an approval process based on politics, not science. )
2.) Is there an increased risk for medical issues for kids who use marijuana?
Not only does using marijuana increase the risk of anxiety, depression and often triggers schizophrenia but when used by adolescents (before the brain reaches full development at 25) often causes long-term permanent effects to include a decrease in IQ.
(Brain abnormalities and memory problems were observed in these individuals in their early twenties, two years after they had stopped using marijuana. The cannabis users were noted to have striatal, globus pallidus, and thalamus changes showing these brain regions appearing to shrink and collapse inward. These individuals also had poorer working memory. The earlier the age of cannabis use, the more dramatic the brain changes and memory deficits were noted to be.)
Based on the above facts it should be of major concern for parents as the perception of harm decreases, overall usage increases. In 2014 the Florida ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for ‘medical’ purpose lead to youth perceiving marijuana to be safer than cigarettes and often riding with a person high on marijuana. (Hillsborough Cty & State data)
(The Department of Health and Human Services found that marijuana use among all Americans 12 and over – especially those over 26 – significantly increased in 2014 compared to 2013. The number of 16 and 17 year-olds using marijuana in the past month also increased, (14.2% versus 15.0%).)
3.)Why do you think people have begun supporting medical marijuana when it previously wouldn't have been up for a vote? The public is being bombarded with propaganda that marijuana is a miracle drug that cures illnesses from headaches to glaucoma to cancer. People should ask themselves two questions 1) Is it medically possible for one medicine to cure so many ailments? 2) If marijuana were truly a miracle drug why aren’t the pharmaceutical companies promoting the already legal prescription cannabis-based medicines the way these companies have marketed narcotics? The answer is simple: it isn’t the best available drug AND the risks far outweigh any benefits perceived or actual. HOWEVER money talks.
a. Money & Propaganda: Money Talks
b. View video: History of Legalizing Marijuana
4.) Is there anything you would like to add?
Just because people call marijuana a medicine doesn’t make it a medicine. Smoking pot and believing you feel better is not valid scientific evidence that this drug is a medicine. Parents should know that pot from the 60’s is not the same as today’s pot it is typically 20 times stronger. The BIG Question: Does this sound like a medicine you would want your child or any family member to use?
Thank you for the opportunity to help inform and educate parents and hopefully prevent their children from heading down a path that often destroys family’s lives and futures.
Sincerely,
Teresa Miller
No2Pot.org
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