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Issues You Should Know About The Current Marijuana
Discussion
thesoberworld.com/2017/09/01/issues-you-should-know-about-the-current-marijuana-discussion
There are many myths surrounding discussions about marijuana legalization. Americans
often hear that states with legal marijuana are raking in millions in tax revenue and
effectively regulating legal sales with public health and safety in mind. But new findings
and landmark research tell a different story. Here are some important marijuana myths,
debunked:
Is marijuana really a “gateway” drug, or is that just a scare tactic?
Do most people who use marijuana go on to other drugs? No. But do most people who use
other drugs start with marijuana? Most definitely.
A wide array of research has confirmed links between marijuana use and other drugs.
While it is true most marijuana users won’t go on to use other drugs, research
demonstrates that 99% of those addicted to other drugs started with alcohol and
marijuana. Marijuana users are also three times more likely than non-users to become
addicted to heroin, and a 2017 National Academy of Sciences report found a statistical
association between marijuana use and the development of substance dependence for
other drugs like opioids and heroin.
But isn’t everything going fine in states like Colorado that already legalized
marijuana?
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In Colorado, the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, pot is now involved in more
than one of every five deaths on the road, and that number is rising.
This immense increase in drugged driving fatalities isn’t the only failure of legalization.
Even more troubling is the fact that Colorado now leads the country in past-month
marijuana use by youth. A 2017 study found that marijuana-related emergency room
visits by kids in Colorado more than quadrupled since the state legalized marijuana, with
most visits related to mental illness. The likely culprit: an aggressive industry pushing
kidfriendly pot products, combined with a thriving black market.
Also troubling: significantly mo