COALITION SHARES INFORMATION ON MARIJUANA

In the interest of providing public service information regarding the
effects of substance abuse, the Churchill Community Coalition would
like to share some facts to assist the public in understanding the
confusing issues surrounding marijuana and legalization of marijuana.

Marijuana is an illicit drug that has detrimental effects on
users:

Kids who use marijuana are more likely to experience failure in
school. Marijuana harms brain development and impairs thinking,
speaking, listening, problem solving, and decision-making skills.
Marijuana also impairs an individual's ability to form and understand
concepts. Smoking 5 joints a week has the same effects on health that
smoking a pack of cigarettes a day does. Teens and kids who use
marijuana are much more likely to have contact with people that use
other drugs, thus putting them at greater risk. Marijuana not only has
detrimental effects on individuals, but business as well. For example,
it can lead to unmotivated and under-skilled workers who are more
likely to come to work high, use more sick leave, and file more
workers' compensation claims. There are many pertinent issues
surrounding marijuana: The real dangers of marijuana have never been
communicated to young people, and this helps to create the perception
that marijuana is harmless, which it is not. Use of marijuana by
people in the 12 to 17 year old age group is increasing dramatically.
If legalized marijuana will become more readily available, and will be
regulated like alcohol, which statistics show, minors still drink.

There are things we can do about marijuana. We need to tell kids the
truth about marijuana, so talk with your children about the dangers of
marijuana and communicate your healthy beliefs and clear standards to
them. We need to increase public awareness of the detrimental effects
of marijuana.

Sincerely,

John R. McCormick

Coalition director

churchillcoalition@hotmail.com