Here’s the real issue

Although the points you make are strong and thought-provoking, I think they miss the real issue. The defining feature of marijuana is not just “the evolving science of testing for marijuana and the lack of consensus over how to measure impairment,” but also the extremely high and unnatural potency.

If you want to talk about challenges for lawmakers and law enforcement, look at the THC levels of today’s marijuana, which have increased exponentially and have deviated so far from its “natural” form, that calling it “marijuana” is inaccurate.

It’s not so much a lack of consensus over how to measure impairment that’s driving the issue here, but more of a lack of consistency and regulation of THC levels. With the increased use by youth, this should be the dominating concern. Consumers want to get high and sellers want to get rich, but it’s far from a win-win situation. You see, there’s no limit on how rich a person can get, but there is a limit on how much THC the body can take before it begins to go haywire and the younger the consumer starts, the more vulnerable they are to adverse effects.

And let’s make a clear distinction between the medicinal weed and the recreational one. Marijuana derives its medicinal value from CBD, while the psychoactive properties stem from the chemical THC. CBD does not cause psychosis or paranoia; In fact, it blocks the psychoactive effects of THC, so to say that “marijuana can cause psychosis” is misleading. A more accurate statement would be “THC can cause psychosis” because at the end of the day, that’s exactly what people are consuming — a mutated product oozing THC. Aurora Hernandez

Prevention Coordinator Pueblo y Salud, Inc. Palmdale