| Our increased use of social media is fueling envy, comparison, anxiety, depression and, yes, suicide. Being bullied is a common affliction for children and teens. https://www.educationcorner.com/bullying-facts-statistics-and-prevention.html
At the same time, the marijuana industry has been distributing false messages that marijuana is medicine, that it isn’t harmful, that it helps reduce anxiety and it makes people happy. These are the snake oil messages for the 21st century. Many adults and some legislatures have been buying the messages that the pot industry has been selling and our young people and their families are paying the price. The price includes addiction, loss of memory, mental and physical impairment, loss of motivation, depression, more anxiety (not less), car crashes, a loss of relationships, paranoia, psychosis, full-blown schizophrenia, and suicide. In short, using marijuana (and all psychoactive drugs) eliminates no problems in the lives of users but adds several or many more problems, some deadly.
President of AALM, Carla Lowe, warns,
“Very few people know the serious risks that come from using today’s high strength marijuana. We must get the kids, the parents and the general public to know the truth about today’s pot. When that was done in the 1980’s use was cut by more than half. It saves a lot of lives and grief.”
Opioid use is up in states that have “legalized” marijuana. States with medical marijuana laws had average rates of opioid overdose deaths that were nearly 23% higher than those without these laws. Since marijuana legalization, opioid-related deaths have risen 49% in Colorado. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/investigations/2019/06/10/new-york-marijuana-billboards/1371023001/ Teens indicate that when the pot runs out there is always someone with pills. Being high on pot makes a smart decision regarding taking pills very unlikely.
Scott Chipman Vice President of AALM,
“We will never control the flood that is the ‘opioid crisis’ unless we significantly close down one of the spigots which is marijuana use. Just as important, is addressing the underlying spiritual vacuum that drives people to escape real life and try to live in a fake altered mental state. The real solution to America’s mental illness drug use epidemic is personal connections, purpose in life, and self-worth”
As The First Lady Melania Trump recently said, “Love yourself more than you love drugs.” |
