Legalizing Marijuana Defies Reason

Looking to legalize anything recreationally that are oriented and nothing. This is family policymakers with NC family Pres. John Weston thanks for joining us this week for family policy matters are just today Dr. Michelle Critelli, president of the American College of pediatricians, which is a national organization of pro-life pediatricians and other healthcare professionals who are dedicated to the health and well-being of children based on scientific truth within a framework of ethical absolutes.

She is a board-certified general pediatrician, with a focus on adolescent health today will be talking with Dr. Critelli about the dangers of marijuana and the risks, particularly to children associated with the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational Dr. Critelli. Welcome back to family policy matters. It's great to have your Michelle again, thank you. Back when we appreciate the work that you will do so much. Now Dr. Critelli. We often hear that today's marijuana is not the same drug that was around when many of us were young or younger than we are now how is today's marijuana different from the marijuana that was around 2030 or even 50 years ago, much, much stronger train marijuana that are being cultivated today are at least 3 to 5 times longer them up with around certainly 1960s, and even only 20 years ago that mean you're dealing with marijuana that is more addicting and often more toxic than what about his parents and grandparents may remember if they had any personal experience way way back. It's it definitely more dangerous for some of the risks to sound effects associated with marijuana use, particularly among children and adolescents enter these risks and side effects long-lasting or are they merely confined to come around the time the marijuana is used actually take to their short-term effects and then absolutely very concerning long-term and short-term immediately become oriented decreased reflexes. Your catchment is definitely impaired until without short-term media effects similar to what you get from someone who is drunk for similar now, particularly among teenagers increased risk of having driving accidents, increased risk of violence and/or really concerned about sexual misconduct. These things are.

So even though they the eye, decreased judgment and that the high being. It only lasts for brief time. It doesn't take that much time for a team to get into trouble. More concerning long-term side effects and the greatest one is that as teenagers use this medication they going to use it for several months several years their IQ starts to drop and you can't regain.

That is the biggest concern we have pediatricians be other long-term effect. They will also mention is that there more and more data coming out showing that marijuana causes and worsen mental illness from reading from anxiety, depression even think of that you don't get that from alcohol. You don't get that from tobacco. Proponents of marijuana we have developed a very deliberate strategy that usually begins with efforts to make marijuana available for medicinal purposes. Dr. Critelli or the legitimate medical uses for marijuana and if so, are those uses grounds enough to legalize the drug grounds enough to legalize the drug and to fully understand that make a distinction medical marijuana is not a prescription medication sale medical marijuana is not medicine, as we have come to understand when we talk medicine were talking prescription medications because fiction medication are the ones that have been vigorously tested and to the point that we understand what the active ingredient is in the prescription medication. We understand how it acts and also each of its side effects. This is not the case for medical marijuana medical marijuana had not been studied it.

It had nothing compared even to other medications. Therefore, you don't know what you're getting. I get medical marijuana in one town in Colorado. I don't know that the medical marijuana and getting in the next town over is the same thing. There are no rigorous standards for production and the scariest part is that marijuana marijuana leaf has over 100 active ingredient. We don't even know what we know about what what handful of those ingredients do we don't know all the side effects still this is a dangerous thing when you take a prescription medication.

There is one active ingredient or two active ingredients. At the most.

We know what they're supposed to do it. We also know what potential side effects are that has not happened with medical marijuana SM folk get confused because there are two prescription medication based on one ingredient of the marijuana prescription medications which have gone through FDA testing and approval are that the mat and Marinol it a capsule and until those are true prescription medications, but they only contain the THC compound and of marijuana that they are separate but that's not what you can get when you go to medical marijuana dispensary from the medical marijuana dispensary what you getting her to get you leave your oil. Your baked goods. You don't know within their toe in your opinion, what is the greatest risk posed by the legalization of marijuana really is the increased usage among teenagers they get the message that even just to legalize medical marijuana to get the message out and if it's good for you. If not, can you hurt me and even just from legalization of medical marijuana. Increased availability means you get into it.

They they don't have to go and ask grandma and grandpa lying around the house rate so they are more easily addicted and as they said in the long term IQ points at the most significant impact on the teenage brain is the most significant concern was listening to a resource to listen to our radio show online resources that will be a voice of persuasion in US community to our website and see family G looking at our society is considering the success of antismoking campaigns in Antarctica, tobacco, public awareness campaigns that have resulted really in a fairly widespread regulation of smoking and reduction in rates of smoking while you think there remain such a course to legalize marijuana and how does marijuana actually compared to tobacco it. I think that/the push for legalizing marijuana. In my opinion it is coming from people in big business they they know they can be a market for it.

They want to make. They want to make the box and and and sadly also I think adults who want to get a legal high in my opinion those two factors are playing a big role in this, as far as any rate, this is incredibly ironic and really divorced from science when you look at what we have done to combat the whole tobacco come industry because marijuana again.

Marijuana leaf has all the same toxic ingredients as tobacco and has more cancer-causing compliments and tobacco.

There's no such thing. If they smoking you smoke marijuana. You have the risk of getting the same all the lung disease, heart attack, stroke, as well as cancers not cancer the lung cancer that other organ systems fill right were looking looking to legalize something and in many states recreationally that is far worse than smoking tobacco. It makes it goes contrary to reason crazy will and is becoming more and more of an issue. Good parents and healthcare professionals and use young individuals are all being confronted with how can parents and healthcare professionals effectively discuss the homes of marijuana use with their children, particularly in the climate as we see these days were more more states have weakened their stance on what has historically been, and still remains a controlled substance. There are certainly some resources that are on our website in terms of where you can find the facts about marijuana. In addition, the most protective thing parents can do is maintain an open education with your kids. We at the college. We strongly preach and practice the family table and having some regular time when everyone in the family unplugged from technology and plugs into each other. Ask questions 700 got tickets and paid it down Johnny to have a lecture on marijuana and hard-core drugs that simply asked asking simple questions about their school day friends. Hey, what's going on. Knowing your friends knowing different families and then it may come up. They may be the one you never know they may bring it up on their own, or you can click simply asked hey what your friends think about marijuana. Are you hearing anything about 13 no feet deep. I think it's any different from smoking cigarettes. Asking questions can get the conversation going in open the door for you to then educate them with the true facts. I think that can be the best way to do it. The family table having dinner meals together and really just maintaining that open communication comes down about what you're talking about drugs, alcohol, sexual activity, those sorts of things. Having that open discussions of the dinner table time together, and other times where your engaging in conversation. Being aware of where your children or who they're hanging out with with doing their families as you say the things it's very practical but extremely important. So I know you don't with this issue and attracted many many states. How would you counsel.

State legislators and other elected officials who are confronted with efforts to legalize marijuana use, especially in states like North Carolina which has opposed such efforts before, but we continually see bills being introduced to initially legalize medical marijuana. But we know that the endgame is to do as Colorado. His daughter a few other states and legalize it for recreational use as well.

I encourage legislators to take the long view, meaning short-term focused on recreationally in the short term.

Yes, you can see the money flowing.

But in the long term taxes go up. Social programs are to be in demand to fix all the problems you're gonna be getting from legalize marijuana and all you have to do is look at the numbers we have from the tobacco industry and how the cost to states for the healthcare to pick up the pieces from the health effects of tobacco. The health effects of marijuana are far worse.

And as I said before, it's going to impact your educational system your public transportation and public safety and law enforcement will recently see met in Colorado with legalization of marijuana for medical books for recreational use as well, were nearly out of time this week, but I want to give you an opportunity to let our listeners know where they can go to get more information about the American College of pediatricians.

I also be important work that you do to protect the health and well-being of children and families across our nation. Thank you very much. Yes listeners can go on the web to AC P EDS ACP EDS.work great woman with that website ACP EDS.award ACP EDS.org American College of pediatricians and with Dr. Michelle Fratello, thank you so much for being with us on family policy matters and for your great work not only on this issue, but on so many other issues that are so critically important to the well-being of our children and our family, traveling like there are in the business of helping family will we appreciate all that you do just wish God's blessings on you and like so much for your time listening to family policy matter the production of NZ family to listen to our radio show online, and for more valuable resources and information about issues important to families in North Carolina my website and see family.org