Re: “Cannabis Legalization Looms: Health Professionals Concerned about Youth, Mental Health”, Sept. 21, 2018
To the editor:
I’m writing to express my concerns with the upcoming legalization of marijuana in Canada. I am a grade 12 student currently attending ECHS in Fergus, and believe that legalizing cannabis will not solve problems concerning addictions and the use of illegal substances. Drug dealers will certainly find another substance to sell. Are we going to legalize every substance that cannot be kept in check by local authorities?
We already know that the use of marijuana has some negative health effects, possibly more so than some other addictive substances. Legalizing marijuana may cause many to assume that it’s not that bad to consume. It, however, affects your lungs, your heart, children in the womb or breastfeeding, and increases the risks of developing cancer. Personally, I am extremely thankful for free health care. But are we going to pay taxes to help those who knowingly overdose on marijuana?
I encourage those who consciously make the decision to use cannabis to, yes, proceed with caution. Even better, I beseech readers to research, and to really think about what they’re doing to themselves before they make their decision.
Brooke Vanleeuwen