YOUNG PEOPLE GOING TO POT

Amid all the contending viewpoints about what should be done about
cannabis and other drugs, one question is pivotal. The Dominion asks
in an editorial: What is in the best interests of our young people?

In the debate about whether to continue the current ban on cannabis,
decriminalise its use or remove all legal restraints, that question is
rarely given the prominence it deserves.

It is young people who are most at risk. For them, smoking cannabis is
not a benign pastime with minimal effects. Regular use can prevent the
cells of the maturing brain from making connections. Cannabis impacts
on short-term memory. It diminishes their ability to think and plan
ahead. It impairs learning.

Little wonder, then, that school principals and boards are among the
most outspoken opponents of any softening of the law, as advocated by
adult cannabis users and trendy politicians. Too often have schools
seen promising students turn to cannabis and go into a tailspin. While
teachers work hard to develop children's abilities and lay a solid
foundation for their future in the "knowledge society", their efforts
are undermined when their pupils seek solace in pot.

The appeal of the drug comes partly from peer pressure, partly from
the lure of forbidden fruit, partly from doing what is "cool". The
odds are tilted against some young people by the rotten example set by
their dope-smoking elders, who in some homes include parents. For
young people under psychological stress, cannabis may seem a way to
cope. It is alarmingly easy to come by. But acknowledging how
pervasive the drug has become is no reason for society to agree to
place in their way another obstacle to growing up – as if alcohol and
tobacco were not hurdles enough.

Schools have to meet the needs of all their pupils. That begins with
making the school environment safe for everyone by keeping cannabis
and other drugs out. Ten years ago it was common to issue a warning
that anyone found with drugs on school premises would be automatically
expelled. This had the merit of being clear and effective – but it
fell foul of court decisions that each case had to be considered in
the light of its own circumstances, and discretion must be applied in
deciding the penalty.

Some parents and educators also considered expulsion to be unduly
harsh: the school system is there to educate young people to learn,
and that becomes impossible if no school will have them. The current
emphasis on rehabilitation is more constructive. In many schools
cannabis offenders are disciplined and, with parental approval, are
asked to sign a contract in which they agree to be randomly tested for
a period to show they are clear of drugs.

That has the added advantage of giving an opportunity to provide
professional assessment and treatment, since dabbling with drugs is
often an indication that a young person has other problems as well.
Those problems are broader than drug use – and there is a pressing
need for the Government to bolster schools' efforts by ensuring there
are adequate psychological services available, geared to young
people's needs.