It is painfully clear that our society is being misled into accepting smoked marijuana as a medicine without regard for the real damage it is doing to our childrens future, as well as the strength of our society.
All of the current scientific research on the damage caused by potent marijuana on the developing adolescent brain is being ignored by most politicians and civic organizations who are allowing this tragedy to occur.
What has happened to those leaders who loudly claim to be committed to the well-being and future of our valuable young people? Would they stand by and let this happen if the drug being voted on for legalization was heroin?
The majority of the population lacks a clear understanding of the real risks this issue poses to both our children and our society. More than 20 percent of our high school students admitted in the 2013 national survey that they had been using marijuana during the past month; another 10 percent said they used it daily; and 60 percent said they believed it was harmless.
It is a sad irony that more adolescents surveyed believed that using tobacco was more harmful than marijuana, a reflection of how their attitudes are shaped by adult behavior.
This trend coincides with the grim reality that more than 20 percent of our children drop out before high school graduation, and that the U.S. high school students were outperformed by more than 20 other countries in international math, science, and reading tests (2012 PISA exams). Do our young people need access to even more harmful drugs to further damage their future, and our society?
The strength of our country more than ever depends on our children having the mental strength, and motivation, to grow into the future leaders America needs. This requires that we teach them that drugs will only ruin their lives, and this includes smoking marijuana as if it is a safe and harmless "medicine" -- which it is not.
We also need to remind our political leaders and civic organizations of their responsibility to speak out and educate the populace about the real issues involved in medical marijuana, as well as confront those who are trying to create a new culture of drug addiction by enslaving our children.
Michael Grover is a practicing licensed mental health counselor and certified addictions professional. He has been specializing in substance abuse counseling for the past 14 years in South Florida, and now in Orlando.
