Last Thing Struggling Students Need is More Marijuana

David W. Murray

Two recent measures of educational performance, one at the national level (National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NEAP) and one among 11 regional states and the District of Columbia showed not only poor and deteriorating performance for all students, but staggering differences between white students and black students.

At the national level, the NEAP reported that 66 percent of all 8th graders were “not proficient” in reading, rising to 67 percent in math. But for black 8th graders, fully 84 percent were “not proficient” in reading, with 87 percent “not proficient” in math.

And the report on students in the District of Columbia revealed an educational disaster. In 3rd through 8th grade, only 79 percent of whites were “proficient” in English, with 70 percent so for math. For black students, proficiency in either skill fell to 17 percent.

In high school, it got worse. Only 52 percent of whites were proficient in geometry, compared to four percent of blacks. In English, only 20 percent of black students were proficient, compared to 82 percent of whites.

Importantly, the blame falls not on the expectant students. It falls squarely on the institutions—and the adults—entrusted with the task of educating them. (The District spent $17,953 per pupil, outranking all states but Alaska, in the most recent, reported year.) Teaching youth is the most fundamental operation of any culture, upon which acquisition of other capacities will depend. If they can’t read, write, or calculate, we are failing to render self-sufficient in the tools of daily life the coming generation.

We may not have the power to fix all the things that are wrong with public schools. But surely we have the power, and the responsibility, to not make things worse, particularly for those already struggling. And making things worse is just what the District, and now other places in America, are doing, by making marijuana use more normalized and widespread.

According to the latest results from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), marijuana use doubled between the period 2001-2002 and the most recent wave offindings, the years 2012-2013. There was also a near-doubling of “marijuana-related disorders,” such that three-in-ten users now suffer problems.

But an equally troubling finding was what NESARC termed “significant increases across demographic subgroups.” In fact, “Black and Hispanic individuals showed especially notable increases in the prevalence of marijuana use and marijuana use disorders, trends consistent with other studies showing that marijuana use is now more prevalent in black than white individuals.”

These disturbing results for marijuana only add to the bad news, which most affects youth — and perhaps critically affects disadvantaged youth.

No one says that drug use is the single factor “causing” student failure; there are documented institutional and social deficiencies enough for that. But who will not face that marijuana use will most penalize those most at risk? Minority youth are both using more dope and suffering more of the consequences, and the impact hits hardest those without support.

The clear science on adolescent marijuana use and school failure isundeniable. The loss of 8 IQ points from heavy use, the measurable detriment to memory and learning, the risks of depression and psychosis for the vulnerable, the greatly increased risk of school drop-out; these are now well-established associations, and they seem to worsen as marijuana potency skyrockets, while dependency becomes“more severe.”

We can anticipate the objections from legalization advocates. Under the District’s rules, marijuana is still illegal for kids. But there is strongevidence showing that where marijuana is legalized and normalized, youth use soars, damaging learning and bringing addiction to the young.

It could also be that the “causation” is reversed; the reason that those failing in school are turning to marijuana is because they’re already failing in school. It’s possible, and may be true for some facing social disadvantage and psychological co-morbidities.

But surely that is no argument to therefore make dope wall-to-wall. One-in-every-eight high school kids in Colorado is now a current marijuana smoker. Moreover, teachers tell routinely another tale, of the high-performing youth who in a single semester changes dramatically—for the worse—and becomes a “stoner.” And then they lose them.

We should at least examine the true nature of the impact, and plan a response. We could explore programs like in-school screening for at-risk kids; if they’re starting to use drugs, it could be a chance to intervene and bring help.

Fixing this will require serious educational reform. Instead, inexplicably, the District determined to take us in the wrong direction – they legalized.

For education advocates and those of us especially concerned by the worsening failure of at-risk Americans in the classroom, it is time to recognize that the brain-altering effects of marijuana are now a dangerous and growing educational threat.

The Financial Cost

In 2005, for every $1 collected in taxes on alcohol and tobacco, almost $14 was spent to repair the vast social damages caused by their use. Legalization of marijuana will see increased use and increased social damage as a result.

The “medical” marijuana experience has shown that growers and dispensaries sell marijuana on a cash basis "under the table" and are not paying taxes. It is also impossible to track sales, unless they are investigated by law enforcement. This has put a huge burden on the already stretched budget of our police force.

With legalization, dispensaries will be primary sellers of marijuana. Do we expect them to suddenly start paying taxes?

A Regulatory Mess

The tax burden falls to cities and counties under the legalization initiative. The state of California cannot collect taxes from the sales of marijuana, therefore this monumental and expensive task falls to each of the state’s 416 cities and 58 counties. The end result will be a patchwork quilt of taxes and procedures across all local governments. Will your city or county be able to collect taxes from the large, powerful marijuana cartels operating in your area?

Regulating the growing and selling of marijuana will also default to the same under-funded cities and counties. Anyone will be able to grow and sell marijuana, even those with a criminal record. Much of the marijuana in California is supplied by illegal drug cartels and marijuana grow sites that ravage our environment. Legalization, as proposed, does nothing to fix these problems. Drug cartels and other, smaller operations will always want to operate in the black market, as they won't have to report their sales, pay their taxes, or adhere to marijuana-related laws and ordinances. As a Rand research report concluded, “There is a tremendous profit motive for the existing black market to stay in the black market, as they can cover their costs of production and make a nice profit.” 

A further problem occurs when employment is taken into consideration. Employers will be forced to accommodate marijuana usage and will not be able to test for use in their employees. The federal government, which employs more California citizens than any other single entity, requires a drug-free workplace. If this can’t be guaranteed, jobs will go to other states.

The proliferation of pot will affect our workforce, bringing slower upward mobility to our citizens and stifling their income (as well as the taxes they would generate). Less qualified workers will hurt employment and our economy as a whole.

No employer, public or private, will be able to protect themselves from the liabilities of marijuana use. 

Smoked Marijuana Jeopardizes the Physical and Mental Health of Everyone

The Federal Drug Administration has studied smoked marijuana for over 30+ years and has  concluded that it is a highly toxic, addictive, and cancer-causing. It has the potential for great harm and no medically accepted benefit. It cannot be prescribed by any licensed medical doctor. The psychoactive chemical responsible for the “high” that occurs after somebody smokes cannabis is known as THC (Tetrahydracannabinol). Todays cannabis has larger amounts of THC then have ever been present before. 

Related: What Scientific and Medical Journals and Experts say about Marijuana

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Marijuana by the numbers:

• Today the potency of THC is at least 3 times more toxic than in the 1970’s. (ONDCP – marijuana potency project.)

  • The National Institute on Drug Abuse says the potency of marijuana has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, but a level of 20 or 30 percent THC is even greater than the institute has reported in the past. As of 2012, it said marijuana confiscated by police agencies nationwide had an average THC concentration of about 15 percent.

    According to the institute, higher concentrations of THC in marijuana could mean "a greater chance of an adverse or unpredictable reaction," especially in new users. And "for frequent users, it may mean a greater risk of addiction." Officials say more potent pot could also be one of the reasons behind a rise in emergency room visits involving marijuana use.

• In 2006, there were 290,563 marijuana-related emergency room visits, more than for all drugs combined.

  • Emergency department visits involving marijuana-using visitors doubled from 2013 to 2014, the first year cannabis use was legalized in Colorado, a team of Denver-area doctors said.

“At our institution, the rate of ED visits possibly related to cannabis use among out-of-state residents doubled from 85 per 10,000 visits in 2013 to 168 per 10,000 visits in 2014, which was the first year of retail marijuana sales.”

— -Dr. Andrew Monte, emergency room toxicologist, University of Colorado Denver in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, along with colleagues.

Related: The junk "science" behind marijuana legalization

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What is the harm?

There are 483 chemicals in marijuana and when smoked or ingested there are 4 to 5 times more tars and cancer causing agents than in tobacco cigarettes. Furthermore In 2009, the California Office of Environmental Health and Assessment Science listed marijuana as a cause of cancer. It is also known to cause respiratory and reproductive problems, mental illness, birth defect and irreversible brain damage…especially for young people.

The harms of pot have been greatly downplayed by false facts and public opinion. A vast majority of Doctors and medical associations hold to what they have always known. That pot is dangerous. Follow the link to find out more about these groups(Who is with us?)

Related: The American Epilepsy Societies letter on Marijuana

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“We’ve known for centuries that smoked marijuana is harmful to mind and body. Most concerning are the long-term mental health effects marijuana has on habitual users and the developing brain of a young person. Smoked marijuana also causes birth defects, respiratory and reproductive problems, including birth defects.”

— Dr. Forest Tennant

““... in my twenty years of research on human cells, I have never found any other drug, including heroin, which comes close to the DNA damage caused by marijuana.” ”

— Dr. Akira Miroshima

Marijuana is a battle for the brain 

“Fatigue, paranoia, possible psychosis, memory problems, depersonalization, mood alterations, urinary retention, constipation, decreased motor coordination, lethargy, slurred speech, and dizziness. Impaired health including lung damage, behavioral changes, and reproductive, cardiovascular and immunological effects have been associated with regular marijuana use.

Regular and chronic marijuana smokers may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have (daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis), as the amount of tar inhaled and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed by marijuana smokers is 3 to 5 times greater than among tobacco smokers.

The short term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficultly in thinking and problem-solving, and loss of coordination. Heavy users may have increased difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of changes in the environment, and in registering, processing and using information.”

— National Highway Safety and Transportation Association (NHSTA)

Marijuana is Devastating to Youth

Marijuana adversely affects memory, maturation, motivation and can cause irreversible impact on young brains that aren’t fully developed until roughly age 25. It is a contributing factor in California’s alarming high school drop-out rate which costs taxpayers $45.4 billion dollars each year ($492,000 per drop-out). 2009 UC Santa Barbara Study. Since marijuana has been promoted as a “medicine” it is perceived as harmless and use has gone up (NIDA 2009).

Related: America's Youth: The Marijuana Martyrs

More young people ages 12-17 entered drug treament in 2003 for marijuana dependency than for alcohol and all other illegal drugs combined. (DEA 2003) States that have legalized the nation lead the nation in youth marijuana use.

“Students who smoke marijuana have twice the odds of being a high school dropout. And have trouble finding jobs, get involved in gangs and crime, and end up on welfare. 80% of prisoners are high school dropouts. “Curbing the nation’s drop-out rate a pressing economic and social imperative. The stakes are too high for our children, for our economy and for our country.””

— President Barack Obama, March 7, 2010

Gambling with Pot

When Alaska legalized marijuana use for adults (’78-’94), teen use was twice that of any other state. Voters overturned the law. States that have legalized pot lead the nation in teen pot use, most notably Colorado.

“If a young person arrives at age 21 prior to smoking, drinking or using illicit drugs, he/she is virtually certain never to do so.”

Joseph Califano
Columbia University Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

Marijuana is a very pervasive addictive drug wreaking havoc in our teen population. For instance:

• “The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana is a dangerous drug,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) chairman and president and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. “Parents should recognize–and help their children understand–that playing with marijuana is like playing with fire. More kids are in treatment for marijuana dependence and abuse than ever before, and marijuana is a culprit in an increasing proportion of emergency room visits. Moreover, CASA’s latest analysis provides increasing evidence that marijuana is a gateway to other drug use. The more researchers study the drug and the consequences of its use, the clearer it becomes that teens who smoke pot are playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette, not engaging in a harmless rite of passage.” (CASA 2008)
• From 1992 to 2006, rates of admission for children and teens under age 18 for marijuana as the primary substance of abuse increased by 188.1 percent from 22.7 percent to 65.4 percent, compared with a 54.4 percent decline in rates of admission for all other substances combined. (CASA 2006)