NEWS THAN ANY OTHER NEWS ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD.
>>> JANUARY OF 2020 RECREATIONAL
MARIJUANA WILL BE LEGAL FOR
PEOPLE OVER 21?
11 STATES BUT THE U.S. SURGEON
GENERAL HAS WARNED AGAINST
MARIJUANA USE FOR PEOPLE UNDER
25.
25. >> WELL, I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
THE MARIJUANA ISSUE IS VERY
COMPLICATED AND COMPLEX.
MY MESSAGE IS SIMPLE.
NO YOUNG PERSON, NO PREGNANT
WOMAN SHOULD BE USING MARIJUANA.
>> PERIOD?
>> PERIOD? >> PERIOD.
>> PERIOD. >> NBC’S KATE SNOW SAT DOWN WITH
FOUR POT SMOKERS IN THEIR EARLY
20s FOR A CANDID CONVERSATION
ABOUT THE SURGEON GENERAL’S
WARNING.
WARNING. >> HOW OLD ARE YOU?
>> 25.
>> 25. >> 22.
>> 22. >> 24.
>> 24. >> 25.
>> 25. >> SHOW OF HANDS.
READY?
READY? HOW MANY PEOPLE USED IN THE LAST
MONTH?
MONTH? LAST WEEK?
LAST WEEK? TODAY?
TODAY? TODAY.
TODAY. YOU’RE ALL ADVOCATES OF
LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> YES.
>> YES. >> AT WHAT AGE DO YOU THINK IT
SHOULD BE LEGAL?
>> 18.
>> 18. >> 21.
>> 21. >> I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE 18.
>> 18.
>> 18. >> WE ALSO AREN’T REALLY HAVE
CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
HARM REDUCTION.
HARM REDUCTION. LIKE HOW TO USE F YOU’RE GOING
TO BE SAFE, BECAUSE IT’S
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL. WE’RE NOT HAVING CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND
THE RISKS TO PREPARE PEOPLE TO
MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
WE’RE RELYING ON THE LAW TO
INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR WHICH
HISTORICALLY HAS NOT WORKED AND
ONLY CREATED A PROHIBITIONIST
CONTEXT, WHICH CREATES CRIME,
CORRUPTION AND A BLACK MARKET.
>> THERE’S ALL THIS SCIENCE THAT
SHOWS THE BRAIN IS STILL
DEVELOPING.
DEVELOPING. SHOULD IT BE ILLEGAL UNTIL 25 SO
NOBODY DAMAGES THEIR DEVELOPING
BRAIN?
BRAIN? >> I DON’T BELIEVE SO.
ONCE SOMEONE IS 18, THEY’RE AN
ADULT.
ADULT. THEY SHOULD HAVE THE AUTONOMY TO
DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH THEIR OWN
BODIES.
BODIES. WE CAN SEND PEOPLE OFF TO WAR
WITH 18.
WITH 18. THAT AFFECTS THEIR DEVELOPING
BRAIN.
BRAIN. IF WE WERE TO EDUCATE THEM AND
SAY, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN
DO BUT IT MIGHT NEGATIVELY
EFFECT YOUR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
AND WE DIDN’T MAKE IT A BIG,
BAD, IT’S ILLEGAL, WE WERE
TELLING YOU NO, BUT IT’S HONEST
INFORMATION THAT THIS MIGHT
AFFECT YOUR BRAIN IN CERTAIN
WAYS, I THINK IT MIGHT CUT DOWN
ON USE.
ON USE. >> YOU WANT IT TO NOT BE A
SCHEDULE 1 DRUGS BECAUSE YOU
WANT MORE STUDIES TO BE DONE?
>> YES.
>> YES. WHEN IT’S SCHEDULE 1, ALL
RESOURCES ARE TAKEN AWAY.
MORE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CANNABIS IS
AND UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT IT HAS
ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.
IF IT’S SCHEDULE 1, WE AREN’T
ABLE TO DO RESEARCH ON IT.
>> YOU’RE USING EVERY DAY.
ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT YOUR IQ
COULD DROP, YOUR COGNITIVE
ABILITIES COULD DROP?
>> I’M NOT CONCERNED BECAUSE I
THINK WHEN I STARTED CONSUMING
FROM JUST RECREATIONALLY TO
EVERY OTHER WEEKEND TO CONSUMING
DAILY IT HAPPENED DURING THE
COURSE OF LAW SCHOOL.
FROM MY LAW PROGRAM, HIGH
AMOUNTS OF STRESS AND COMPLEX
LEGAL SUBJECTS, IT’S MADE ME
MORE CREATIVE, ALLOWED ME TO SEE
MY FIELD FROM A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. >> YOU DON’T SEE COGNITIVE
IMSNART.
IMSNART. >> I DON’T.
>> YOU DON’T SEE YOURSELF
SLOWING DOWN OR BEING ABLE TO
RECALL THINGS?
RECALL THINGS? >> NO.
>> NO. >> USE IS NOT ABUSE.
MY MASTERS PROGRAM, I’M TAKING A
VERY, VERY LONG BREAK FROM
CANNABIS
CANNABIS CANNABIS.
CANNABIS. THAT’S BECAUSE I KNOW MYSELF AND
I KNOW THE WAY IT IMPACTS ME.
IT SLOWS ME DOWN THE NEXT DAY
BECAUSE MY BODY IS REGULATING
ITSELF AFTER BEING ALTERED.
>> YOU’RE HIGH ONE DAY, THE NEXT
DAY YOU’RE NOT AS SHARP?
>> SO SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WHY
EVEN GET HIGH?
>> FOR MANY REASONS.
I HAVE -- I ENJOY THE SALVATORE
EFFECTS OF IT THE SAME WAY
PEOPLE GO TO A BAR AND HAVE A
DRINK.
DRINK. I DON’T LIKE THE WAY ALCOHOL
MAKES ME FEEL.
ALCOHOL IMPACTS ME FOR TWO,
THREE DAYS AFTER I DRINK.
CANNABIS DOESN’T.
CANNABIS DOESN’T. THE RISKS ARE LOWER.
>> DO ANY OF YOU REGRET STARTING
MAYBE YOUNGER THAN 25?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER
DRUGS ACCEPTABLE TO US, CANNABIS
HAS A REALLY, REALLY LOW RISK
PROFILE.
PROFILE. >> WHY SHOULD YOUNG PEOPLE BE
ALLOWED TO USE MARIJUANA
WHENEVER THEY WANT?
>> I THINK PERSONAL AUTONOMY IS
MY BIGGEST ARGUMENT.
PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO WHAT
THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR
BODIES.
BODIES. >> THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE
THEIR MIND AND CONSUME
SUBSTANCES AS LONG AS IT DOESN’T
HARM ANYONE ELSE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE
THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
THESE ARE SUBSTANCES THAT HAVE
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES AS WELL AS
SOME TOXIC PROPERTIES AS WELL.
THAT’S OUR CHOICE TO MAKE ON