Marijuana for Children and Adolescents! Do you assent to this Motion?

There have been cases of children using medical marijuana for the treatment of various health conditions. We have seen many children visit a marijuana dispensary in Santa Monica and get their medical marijuana dose as prescribed by their doctors. So what is the big deal when it comes to accessing marijuana for general use? A doctor says that adolescents and children should also be considered. Well, the legalization of cannabis will always have its issues. All the same, it has never been such a big deal. President Obama once said that it was far much better for use than alcohol. Practically, cannabis has been an issue for adolescents and children except in cases where licensed doctors have given recommendation on medical grounds.  This is the only time when children and adolescents have used marijuana. When it comes to recreational use, it is not allowed for non-adults to access it in places where it has been decriminalized. The state of California passed medical marijuana laws in 1996. Since then, individuals living in Santa Monica have been able to access marijuana for medical use from time to time and that includes children too.

 

Considering the use of medical marijuana amongst minors, some experts in the medical field feel that no reservations should be made on the general use of marijuana. Do you believe that marijuana should only be meant for medical cannabis patients and adults aged 21 years and above? Recent reforms on marijuana in California through the passing of Proposition 64 dictate so. This was great news for marijuana users who have been hiding in the black market. Apparently, there is a lot of freedom of access to marijuana and probably, users will be able to get recreational marijuana delivery online. So, can California compare to what has happened in other states such as Colorado as far as children-marijuana issues are concerned? The answer lies within the effects of cannabis use to them.

 

Do non-adults need marijuana?

Following recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado, there were increased visits to emergency sections by children below the age of 10 for cannabis-related reasons. About 30% of those who made the visits were seeking for care in the rigorous care units. What prompted this need? Colorado laws and regulations normally allowed the use of cannabis edibles such as cookies, gummies and hard candy among the under-age users. The effects of marijuana on teenagers are even more demanding. Experts say that teenage brains are at a critical development stage that can be distorted through the use of weed.

 

If children and teenagers start using marijuana at this early age, they may begin to struggle with long-term learning and behavioral issues. A study reported in The Journal of Adolescent Health proved that there is an increasing use of weed among teenagers. This was especially found in families where the parents were taking marijuana. Still, many more adolescents were reportedly vaping marijuana weed in school bathrooms. When cannabis is in a state that can easily dissipate the smell, it is not easy to detect and therefore, minors have smoked weed unnoticed. As of today, a marijuana dispensary in Santa Monica only dispenses marijuana for medical use and not for other purposes for anyone less than 21 years. From the look of things, no child or adolescent will be getting weed for recreational use any time soon. Why would they be considered anyway? Same question about the war on illegal use? Such methods of dealing with marijuana use among minors are far-fetched. It is unlikely that such a motion will be welcome considering how the federal government has stuck with the proposition that marijuana is an illegal substance classified as a schedule 1 drug.

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