Say no to recreational marijuana for the kids

Ihave been watching the movement to approve the use of recreational marijuana and am appalled that our legislators are going down this path. I have spent the last 50-plus years as a teacher, coach, school principal and superintendent. I am currently a regent at Eastern New Mexico University. As a result of these experiences, I have a point of view that I have not yet heard discussed.

During my career, I have worked with more than a hundred thousand students, helping them through difficult times through counseling and the disciplinary process. I can say through firsthand experience that I believe approving recreational marijuana will bring extreme harm to a tremendous number of our youth.

I understand the bills being introduced authorize use only for those 21 and above, but to think that this will not open the gates for a tremendous increase among those younger than 21 is sheer idiocy. Students as young as 12 are able to access this drug even though it is difficult to get and illegal to possess.

Once it becomes more readily available, the floodgates will open and the results will be catastrophic for many more youngsters. We all know, if we are honest, that if older brother has legal access, then younger brother also has access.

I have seen too many kids get caught up in drugs that begins with the casual use of marijuana. Good kids suddenly start changing. Grades drop, attitudes change, dropouts increase, behavior changes, and disciplinary problems and auto accidents increase. Before long, good kids become troublemakers, get lost or flounder. Potentially productive members of society become druggies, criminals or just dregs of society. I have seen too many promising lives lost this way.

Not every kid who smokes marijuana goes down this path, but it happens far too often. Why are we so eager to bring such potential harm to so many of our youngsters? Money? Are we really willing to sell the health and well being of so many of our youngsters for greenbacks?

Throughout this pandemic I kept hearing that if we can save a single life through a certain regulation that it would be worth it. Well, authorizing the use of recreational marijuana will, without a doubt, lead to the loss of many lives, particularly among our youth — if not through actual death then through the loss of otherwise productive, contributing assets.

Let’s save our kids. Say no to recreational marijuana.

Dan Patterson has been an educator for over 50 years. He has worked as a teacher, coach, middle and high school principal, upper-level administrator and superintendent. He resides in Sandia Park.