MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS MAKE GET TO VOTE THIS NOVEMBER ON LEGAL
YIEDZING REGULAR RATIONAL USE OF PARENTSA.
THERE ARE PETITION DRIVES UNDERSTAND WAYS SUPPORTING AND
OPPOSING THE QUESTION.
SOME OF THE STRONG OPPOSITION COMES FROM PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH
DRUG ADDICTS.
"CONNECTING POINT" CORRESPONDENT CAROLEE McGRATH SPOKE TO
DR.
POTEE AND SPECIALIST PAUL MCNEIL TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS
ABOUT THE EFFECTS THEY SEE LEGAL MARIJUANA HAVING ON USERS.
>> PEOPLE START WITH DRUGS, ALCOHOL OR MANIA.
NICOTINE HAS GONE WAY DOWN, YOU KNOW, CALL IT HIGH SCHOOL
SOPHOMORES AND SENIORS.
WHAT HAS GONE UP IS MARIJUANA.
WHEN YOU TALK WITH ANYONE WITH ADDICTION, THE AVERAGE AGE OF
FIRST USE IS 12, BETWEEN A 7th AND 8th GRADER.
VERY EARLY BRAIN, VERY IMPORTANT STAGES OF MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT
WHAT IT WANTS TO KEEP, WHAT PATHWAYS IT WANTS TO KEEP AND
WHAT IT WANTS TO GET RID OF.
WHEN WE ASK THAT QUESTION IT SURPRISES ME WITH OPIATES HOW
OFTEN THE ANSWER IS MY FIRST DRUG WAS MARIJUANA.
MORE OFTEN THAN INCREASE TEEN OR ALCOHOL.
IT'S HARDER TO BUY.
YOU CAN'T WALK INTO A STORE AND BUY ALCOHOL AS A TEENAGER.
YOU CAN GROW MARIN WHY IN YOUR BACKYARD.
>> IS IT A GATEWAY DRUG?
>> THE WORD GATEWAY DRUG TRIGGERS EMOTIONS.
IT REPRESENTS THE 1980s ERA OF REAGAN ANTI-DRUG MOVEMENT.
I THINK SOME PEOPLE ARE VERY U.S.S.
EXCEPTIBLE TO DEVELOP A LIFETIME OF ADDITION.
EARLY EXPOSURE TO ANY ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE IS A SETUP.
YOU CAN'T FIND FIELD GROWN MARIJUANA WITH LESS POTENCY THAN
9 OR 10%.
IT'S A DIFFERENT CHEMICAL ALL TOGETHER.
WE MADE IT MORE INTENSE BY CHANGING ITS FORM.
THE AVERAGE PERSON COULD RECOGNIZE A FAT ROLLED JOINT.
THE AVERAGE PERSON UNDER AGE 25 WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE WHAT THAT
IS.
THEY ARE INGESTING IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
>> HOW?
>> WELL, IT COMES IN ALL DIFFERENT FORMS.
IT COMES IN SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE EAR WAX.
THAT CAN HAVE AS MUCH AS 70% THC.
IT COMES IN AN OIL YOU CAN INFUSE OR VAPPERKS OR COOK WITH.
THAT'S BETWEEN 70 AND 100% THC.
WE HAVE A STRONGER, MORE POANLT PLANT THEN WE INTENSIFY ITS FORM
AND PUT IT EVERY POSSIBLE WAY SO PEOPLE WANT TO USE IT MORE,
ESPECIALLY TEENAGERS.
IT'S SOLD AS LOLLIPOPS AND GUMMI BEARS AND EVERY CANDY IMAGINABLE
OUT THERE.
>> THERE'S A PETITION TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA.
IF IT MAKES IT ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY FOR THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE REALLY FOUND A WAY TO REGULATE A
COMMERCIALIZED ADDICTIVE DRUG IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE FOR
CONSUMERS AND FOR BUSINESS INTERESTS.
THAT'S MY GREATEST CONCERN IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO
COMMERCIALIZE RESPONSIBLY AN WE HORRIBLY FAILED OUR PUBLIC
WITH TOBACCO.
HORRIBLY FAILED OUR PUBLIC AND CONTINUE TO DO SO WITH ALCOHOL
AND HOW BIG THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY IS IN THEIR LOBBYING, HOW MUCH
THEY FIGHT PUBLIC HEALTH WHICH WE SHOULD ALL BE MORE CONCERNED
WITH.
PUBLIC HEALTH MORE SO THAN BUSINESS, THE BIG BUSINESS OF
ALCOHOL OR TOBACCO.
WE'RE SEEING THE EXACT SAME THING YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE
LEARNED OUR LESSON FROM PLAY OUT IN COLORADO HOW MUCH INFLUENCE
AND MONEY IS BEING HELD OVER THE PUBLIC SAYING LOOK HOW MUCH
REVENUE WE GET FROM THE TAXES OF MARIJUANA WHEN IT STILL IS A FAR
CRY FROM THE SOCIAL COSTS THAT ARE INCURRED WHEN YOU HAVE
COMMERCIALIZED, MARKETED, INDUSTRIALIZED ADDICTIVE DRUG.
>> WHAT'S YOUR MESSAGE TO PARENTS ABOUT THIS?
>> PARENTS SPECIFICALLY I WOULD SAY, YOU GREW UP BEING SOLD
TOBACCO AS A YOUNG PERSON.
THIS IS THE EXACT SAME MODEL.
EXACT SAME MODEL.
IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR CHILDREN TARGETED, BECAUSE THAT IS THE
LIFETIME USER THEY ARE GOING AFTER.
THEY ARE NOT GOING AFTER PEOPLE THAT WANT TO START SMOKING WEED
AT 28, THEY ARE GOING AFTER THE 14-YEAR-OLD.
IT'S PROFIT DRIVEN N. COLORADO IT'S BEEN A REAL RAT RACE FOR
WHO CAN MAKE THE MOST MONEY OFF THIS INDUSTRY.
I KNOW WE DON'T WANT THAT IN MASSACHUSETTS.
>> I THINK THE MORE INFORMATION WE GET OUT THERE TO TEACHERS AND
EDUCATORS AND TO PARENTS THE BETTER.
I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THE INDUSTRIALIZATION OF THIS DRUG
WILL TURN OUT JUST THE WAY THAT TOBACCO DID WITHOUT A DOUBT.
I WISH WE QOO COULD GO BACK 100 YEARS AND HAVE IT BE THE NUMBER
ONE KILLER IN OUR SOCIETY HAS BEEN TOBACCO BY A LONG SHOT.
TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND FIX THOSE DAYS WE WOULD ALL DO THAT.
I WOULD LOVE US NOT TO BE 30 YEARS FROM NOW LOOKING BACK AT
WHAT WE DID IN THE YEAR 2016 AND HAVE REGRETS.