Reasons to doubt wisdom of legalizing marijuana
Dear Editor,
Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently released a report that concludes that “the positive effects of regulating an adult (21 and over) marijuana market in New York state outweigh the potential negative impacts.”
However, if one is to read the report, there are a minimum of 13 accounts of research data cited that reflect the negative impact that such a regulation would have. The most disturbing are listed here:
• “A Colorado study by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area “found that youth past-month marijuana use increased 20 percent in the two-year average since Colorado legalized regulated marijuana compared to the two-year average prior to legalization.”
• “Estimates range from 8.9 percent to 30 percent of the population who uses marijuana will develop some form of dependence.”
• “Adolescents who use marijuana regularly have an increased risk of developing psychosis.”
• “There is an association between marijuana use and impairment in the cognitive domains of learning, memory, and attention.”
• “For individuals who are susceptible to psychosis, regular use of marijuana lowers the age of onset of psychiatric disorders.”
• “Subject matter experts stated that there are concerns about the effects of marijuana use on the developing brain.”
• “It is likely that some people who have never used marijuana before due to the fear of legal repercussions may try marijuana once legal sanctions are listed.”
As the chairperson of the Ulster County Substance Abuse Prevention Board, which oversees the work of the Ulster Prevention Council, a group that provides resources and services to reduce teen drug use in Ulster County, I (Stacey Rein) am extremely concerned that this report is being used as the catalyst for creating legislation that would legalize marijuana for recreational use.
On behalf of the Ulster County Substance Abuse Prevention Board, we strongly urge the governor to take a step back and do a more thorough analysis of the potentially negative impacts of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana before moving ahead with any legislation. We believe that the lives of our youth depend upon it.
Stacey Rein and Joseph Sinagra
Editor’s note: Rein is the chairperson of the Ulster County Substance Abuse Prevention Board, and President and chief executive officer of the United Way of Ulster County. Sinagra is the chief of police for the town of Saugerties and president of the Police Chiefs of the MidHudson.