To the editor:

As we are hearing and seeing more ads both for and against the marijuana legislation, let me speak to what we are seeing and reading here at Family Recovery Center:

According to national reports, alcohol is the most widely used substance by teenagers and for drugs, marijuana has the highest prevalence.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports marijuana use among youth and adolescents is a major public health concern. In 2019 roughly one in eight adolescents ages 12-17 — 13% –used marijuana in the last year; and four in 10 high school students reported using marijuana in their lifetime.

According to NIDA, 21.3% of the 12th-graders have used marijuana; 6% of the 12th graders report daily use of marijuana

Young people ages 18-25 –or almost 20% — have used in the past month.

Studies reveal that marijuana use during adolescence has been linked to long-term detrimental effects on the brain’s cerebral cortex, impulse control and executive functioning such as planning and decision-making.

NIDA research shows that the THC, the chemical that makes you “feel high,” can have negative effects on the brain including memory problems that can last up to a week or longer. Also, lower IQ if your smoke marijuana regularly during your adolescent years.

Longtime users report being less satisfied with their lives, have relationship problems, as well as reporting poor mental and physical health.

Legal does not mean safe. Think about alcohol and cigarettes. Both are legal to use, have risks associated with them and can even attribute to a person’s death. Think about it –this could be the same for marijuana.

According to federal regulation, currently marijuana is illegal at the federal level and classified in a Scheduled 1 category. Schedule 1 being the most restrictive schedule.

Locally, we are finding more and more companies not conducting drug testing of its employees. Shouldn’t this be a safety concern?

Hopefully, these multiple points will help your determine how you vote on this issue.

ELOISVE V. TRAINA, M.A., M.B.A.,

CEO, Family Recovery Center, Lisbon