EXPERT: DECRIMINALIZATION BLAZES A PATH FOR MORE TEEN USE

Today's teens may not be big on news, but they're very much up on the
state's decriminalization of recreational marijuana, a psychologist
and author specializing in substance abuse and addiction told the Herald.

"Certainly we've heard from kids, 'Hey, it's not illegal,' " said
Michael Levy, vice president of clinical services for CAB Health and
Recovery Services.

Some teens' perception of pot is that decriminalization has
"normalized" it and made it seem "less deviant," Levy said. "They
like the high. It's fun. It's a social thing. (They say) it calms
them down, makes them less aggressive, breaks up boredom. 'What's the
big dealUKP' "

The Herald reported yesterday that several of the state's top law
enforcement officials think weed has become a very big deal since the
penalty for possession of an ounce or less was downgraded by voters 2
to 1 in November 2008 from jail time and a criminal record to an
unenforceable $100 fine.

District attorneys and police blame decriminalization for boosting
demand for cannabis, which they've linked to several recent
high-profile killings, including the Sept. 28 massacre of three
adults and a baby in Mattapan -- casualties of an alleged
dope-dealing turf feud.

While marijuana and alcohol abuse top the list of problems for which
teens are referred to CAB both by the court system and their parents,
Levy said "it's too soon to say" whether decriminalization has caused
more kids to need counseling.

"It will be interesting to see where that goes," he said. "Some
people don't think marijuana has addiction potential. We see people
to whom marijuana is very important in their lives and takes over
everything else they're interested in. There are many kids who smoke
it who don't run into major problems. Pot is a drug of concern, but
the truth is there are other drugs that are more concerning."