Published on The Partnership for a Drug-Free America's (PDFA) Website

What is your position on the legalization or medicalization of marijuana?

Legalization

The Partnership’s position on legalization is based on the perspective of parents, our core constituency.  Many parents understand that marijuana can be harmful, especially for kids whose brains are still developing.

From a parent’s viewpoint, it’s already hard enough to keep kids away from alcohol and tobacco, both legal and regulated substances.  According to the 2009 Monitoring the Future study, by the time teens are in the 12th grade, 66 percent have already tried alcohol in the past year, and 47 percent report having been drunk.  The same study finds that past year marijuana use was 50 percent lower, at 33 percent.  Adding marijuana to the menu of legally available and potentially harmful substances will make it more likely that kids will use it. This not only adds to the challenges parents face, but directly affects the percentage of kids who will have problems because of the increased ease of access to marijuana, including drugged driving and dependence (marijuana is the number one drug abused among teens admitted for treatment today).  And, marijuana, like other intoxicants, damages relationships, affects the quality of work (academic or other) and limits potential.

From this perspective, we don’t support legalized marijuana.

Medicalization

The Partnership is compassionate toward those who are struggling with serious illness, and we know that some have reported finding relief from smoked marijuana.  Having said that, we know marijuana can be harmful, especially to kids whose brains are still developing, and we believe that medicine should be researched, reviewed and approved through the FDA process, not referendum.

Whatever the outcome, the role of the Partnership in motivating and equipping parents to prevent or get help for a child’s involvement with marijuana will not diminish.  In fact, the need for education, prevention and guidance towards effective treatment will increase dramatically should marijuana become more available.