Now that Governor Quinn has officially signed off bill HB 1, which will allow qualified Illinois citizens to receive medical cannabis as early as January 2014, the push for federal legalization is growing at an exponential rate. In a recent Gallup study, a record high of 50 percent of Americans would favor legalization. In 1969, only twelve percent of Americans thought the drug should be legal (Gallup). CNN correspondent, David Nathan, wrote an interesting opinion article about how to properly end the prohibition. In it he brings up the valid concern of how to keep minors away from the drug once legalized. He says the politicians should "limit advertising, sales and public consumption of cannabis products the way we do with alcohol and/or tobacco, fund preventive youth education about the dangers of underage cannabis use and ban cannabis packaging and advertising that targets or attracts underage users" (Nathan).
These are all great ideas, but what it comes down to is how the parent(s) inform their children about the dangers of under age use of cannabis. Parents need to be strict with their kids, especially when cannabis becomes recreationally legal. I know that if I was ten years old and I saw my parents sparking up on the front porch, I would have thought it was an okay thing for me to do as well. But if they explained to me that the use of cannabis should only be for adults because of the negative affects it has on children, I would have happily waited until I was an adult to responsibly enjoy cannabis. But this attitude will only come from future generations who can experience their parents legally, responsibly and safely using pot. I hope that I am be the pioneer generation of parents that can enjoy cannabis, just as my parents did with alcohol, while teaching my kids the very real and prevalent health risks that cannabis has on the young mind.
What are your thoughts on cannabis legalization? Do you think as a parent you could responsibly enjoy cannabis while explaining the negative effects on a young mind to your kid. Or would you feel like a hypocrite? Please leave your thoughts and comments in the below comment section. Don't say something you wouldn't want the whole world to know, so please be smart with your words.
I think that Jack makes a really interesting point about connecting the current situation with alcohol and child-parent relationships to that which might occur if cannabis was made recreationally legal. I think that the results would mirror those with alcohol today. Teen drinking is a serious problem that faces every community differently. Efforts are constantly being made to reduce teen drinking and the negative repercussions that could occur. Jack hits it right on the head when he says "These are all great ideas, but what it comes down to is how the parent(s) inform their children about the dangers of under age use..." I feel alcohol usage follows this school of thinking in that households with alcoholics tend to produce more alocholics, and the more responsible, the safer the area tends to be (there are always exceptions). I believe cannabis legalization would likely lead to a similar situation.
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