Oppose legal marijuana

Voters, I urge you to oppose legalization of recreational marijuana, I-190 and CI-118.

Legalizing recreational marijuana will negatively affect our young people by making marijuana easier to obtain. Look at states that have already legalized it. Colorado leads the country in past 30-day use of marijuana by youth, with Washington and Oregon trailing closely behind. These three states are also in the top six for regular cannabis use by youth.

The negative effects of marijuana use, especially on adolescents, is real. One recent study found that cannabis use, when begun during adolescence, was associated with cognitive impairment in multiple areas, including executive functioning, processing speed, memory, perceptual reasoning, and verbal comprehension. These effects can last a lifetime, and the full impacts on youth brain development is still not fully known.