WE MUST BE CAREFUL WITH LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

Marijuana is a hot topic in Colorado. It's the subject of a parade of
news reports: the Colorado Department of Public Health is holding
hearings on medical marijuana rules; municipalities are enacting
moratoriums against new dispensaries; and a measure to legalize pot
may be on the 2012 ballot. Like it or not, the future of our kids
depends on our engagement in the debate.

Voters approved a referendum in 2000 to amend the state Constitution
regarding medical marijuana. Doctors were granted the right to
recommend marijuana use to alleviate pain from "debilitating medical
conditions." Such conditions include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, severe
pain and nausea.

Pursuant to the law, patients are issued a card that allows them to
possess up to two ounces of pot and as many as six marijuana plants.

The medical marijuana law in Colorado functioned on a small scale
until 2009, when the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE) declined to set rules to limit the number of
patients that "caregivers" can treat. Seemingly overnight, medical
marijuana became a major topic of debate in city councils and the
state Legislature.

The stakes are high for our communities.

YouthZone -- a nonprofit helping young people in Colorado become
responsible, contributing members of society -- keeps statistics on
young clients who are using pot regularly. The number has climbed by
about 50 percent during the past year.

In a growing number of these situations, the individual has obtained
the pot from someone with a license. The ramifications of this trend
are serious.

Marijuana is a powerful drug that alters feelings and moods. It's not
uncommon for young people to become psychologically addicted to the
alternate reality provided by pot.

Most youth who are heavy users remain immature in the realm of coping,
logic and rationale. They are far less likely to be involved with
school and extracurricular activities as compared to their peers.
There is no question that pot jeopardizes the future of addicted kids.

Regardless of age, marijuana effects mental alertness, judgment and
motor skills. It impairs the ability of a person to drive. Studies by
the National Transportation Safety Board find that pot is a factor in
as many accidents as alcohol.

Undeterred, a group called Sensible Colorado is petitioning to put a
measure to legalize pot on the 2012 ballot. In addition to medical
benefits, they claim legalized marijuana would provide government with
a cash cow due to tax revenue.

But federal government data shows that people, especially kids, are
more likely to use cocaine and heroin after using marijuana. What tax
rate is required to offset the socio-economic damage of rising drug
use? Outright legalization of pot is a slippery slope.

Legalizing marijuana solely for medicinal purposes may have some
merit, though pot is not a wonder drug. Research from reputable
sources such as the Mayo Clinic indicate that marijuana is no more
effective in treating debilitating medical conditions than available
pharmaceutical drugs. And for the sake of honest debate, a synthetic
THC (the major psychoactive component of marijuana) drug called
Marinol has been available to the public for more than 25 years.

Here's another wild card. Marijuana is still a controlled substance
under federal law. That means state and local employees engaged in
regulation of any facet of marijuana use may be exposed to prosecution
by the federal justice department. Citizens, community leaders and
state legislators must proceed with caution while developing rules and
licensing requirements.

The Constitution of the United States guarantees that American
citizens are generally free to make choices about their lives. But
when it comes to marijuana and other drugs, we must tread carefully.

Coloradans should ponder a simple question. Can our communities
conceive an effective plan to keep legalized pot out of our kids'
hands? Perhaps we should look to alcohol for the answer.