Carrie Burger

Dr. Cassel
Eng 1201
6 December 2015
Legalizing Marijuana
For years there have been debates on the topic of marijuana. By word of mouth I
have heard both sides of the debate, while never knowing which side held the most
merit. In the past, I never had a set point of view when it came to the legalization of
marijuana. I have never been an active supporter for the use and legalization of
marijuana, but I was never strongly opposed either. The topic of marijuana legalization
is a hot one right now. You cant turn on the new or walk down the street without hearing
it mentioned or argued about. One night I was watching the news with my parents,
when the topic of legalizing marijuana was brought up between the newscasters, which
was when my mom voiced her dissent on the topic. I had never heard my mom mention
the subject before so this prompted a discussion with the whole family. My mother is the
Vice President at Dayton Childrens Medical Center and is the smartest person I have
ever met. I truly value her opinion and expertise on topics, especially those involving
children. She has worked at Dayton Childrens for over thirty years, and there is no
ones opinion on child advocacy and safety I trust more than hers. During our family
discussion, my mom informed us that she has been in contact with the administrators at
Childrens Hospital Colorado since recreational marijuana use became legal in their
state in 2013. She told us about the numerous issues the hospitals in Colorado have
been having since this law was instituted. There have been cases of children

accidentally ingesting edible marijuana causing serious health issues and sometimes
death. When I heard her say that children have died from ingesting marijuana, it
completely contradicted everything that I have heard about this drug. This made me
realize how uninformed I truly was about this rising debate and led me to want to
explore the benefits and hazards of marijuana both medically and recreationally on
children, and whether or not it should be legalized. There are a lot of fallacies floating
around on the topic of marijuana that many take as truth without doing the background
research. I was tired of hearing so many marijuana theories given as fact, so I had to
figure out the truth for myself. When I graduate I would like to be a child life specialist.
This is a teacher in a hospital setting, and this is a profession where I will need to be
knowledgable and aware of the issue of marijuana and children. Even though the
proposal to legalize marijuana was just shot down in my home state of Ohio, I know this
issue will not just fade away. From the extensive research I have done, I have come to
the opinion that marijuana should not be legalized for recreational use, because the
negative effects on children are far too great.
Even thought the debate on legalizing marijuana is a rather new, the use of
marijuana dates back thousands of years to ancient China, India, and Africa. They
would use them for medical, spiritual, and recreational purposes. They felt the high they
would get from smoking marijuana would help them become closer spiritually with their
Gods. In 1545, the Spanish brought marijuana to the new world of America, but it wasnt
until 1611 when the English introduced it in Jamestown where it became a major crop
alongside tobacco (History of Marijuana). It was originally cropped as a source of fiber.
By 1890, marijuana was replaced by cotton as a major cash crop. At this time, there

were some patent medicines using marijuana as ingredients, but this was the time
where a large number of medicines contained opium and cocaine as well. There was
little research done in analyzing the risk factors of any of these drugs when used in
medication. It was not until the 1920s when marijuana really took off as a recreational
drug. It is thought that this radical emergence was brought out by the prohibition
mandated in this era. Marijuana clubs, called tea pads were located in almost every
major city. Marijuana was not illegal at this time, and became a popular recreational
drug all the way through the sixties. Marijuana became a statement drug that people
would use as a way to show their rebellion towards authority. It was the Controlled
Substance Act of 1970 that classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug. A Schedule I drug
is defined as having no accepted medical use and the highest abuse potential. There
became a zero tolerance policy for the use and distribution of marijuana with strict laws
put into place. This resulted in a decrease of marijuana use until around 1990 when
smoking marijuana became an upward trend once more and has stayed that way ever
since. Officials realized that marijuana would never truly go away, and the talk of
legalizing for medical and recreational use began. In 1996, California was the first state
to legalize the use of medical marijuana (23 States). Twenty two states and the District
of Columbia would follow. In 2012, Colorado would become the first state to legalize the
recreational use of marijuana. After that, three more states including Oregon,
Washington, Alaska would follow along with Washington D.C. as well. Numerous states
either have put this issue on the ballot and failed, or will put it on the ballot in the future.
These legalizations, and the possible future legalizations, are what have brought out the
biggest debates on this topic to date. Both sides have strong backing, and enthusiastic

supporters making this a highly publicized debate seen all around the nation and the
world.
Recreational marijuana and medical marijuana are separate arguments, but
rooted in the same debates and research. There have been arguments that medical
marijuana can help children with cancer, autism, and epilepsy. One example of this, is
the case of Zaki Jackson. Zaki is a ten year boy with epilepsy who gets severe seizures.
He lives in Colorado with his family and is one of the 180 children being treated with a
strain of medical cannabis known as Charlottes Web. This strain is named after seven
year old Charlotte Figi whose successful treatment was featured on the 2012 CNN
documentary called Weed. Since Zaki began his treatments with the strain he has
been seizure free (Rollins, Judy A). The doctors that are in favor of using marijuana for
medicinal purposes for children all agree that it is a violation of the ethical relationship
between patient and physician to not give out available treatments that could help their
patients conditions improve (Rollins, Judy A). They say this violates the doctors oath to
first do no harm. On the other end of the spectrum, doctors against the implementation
of medical marijuana believe giving these treatments out are in fact against the first do
no harm oath because there is not enough research done to prove the long term safety
and efficacy of the drug
Medical marijuana is not a cure for these diseases, but has been known to relax
patients and make them more comfortable in cases of cancer and autism. While there
have been successful cases of medical marijuana reported, unfortunately there is
limited evidence to prove the effectiveness of this treatment. Orrin Devinsky, MD,
Director of the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and the Saint Barnabas Institute of

Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Daniel Friedman, MD, Epileptologist and Clinical
Neurophysiologist at the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, stated the following in
their op-ed article titled "We Need Proof on Marijuana," published in the New York
Times, The truth is we lack evidence not only for the efficacy of marijuana, but also for
its safety. This concern is especially relevant in children, for whom there is good
evidence that marijuana use can increase the risk of serious psychiatric disorders and
long-term cognitive problems. (Should Marijuana be Used). These are two experts on
the topic of epilepsy and they believe that marijuana is not safe to use as a treatment
yet. There have not been enough clinical trials and human testing to be able to
determine whether medical marijuana is safe for children in the long term and whether
this treatment is actually doing more harm than good. I am not stating that medical
marijuana should never be used, but in my opinion and the opinion of many medical
professionals, it is too early in the research process for these treatments to be
administered by any physician.
There are now four states where recreational marijuana is legal, and also the
District of Columbia, the first of these states being Colorado. Before 2013, there were
no cases of accidental ingestion of marijuana by children at the Childrens Hospital
Colorado, but there were twenty two cases in 2013 and 2014 (Backfield, Heidi, J.D.).
This number might not sound substantial, but going from zero cases before marijuana
was legalized in Colorado, to twenty two after the law passed is quite shocking. This is
also only one of the childrens hospital in operation in Colorado. Nearly half of these
cases required care in the intensive care unit and some needed intubation. Contrary to

popular belief you can overdose on marijuana. Nine children in Colorado have died due
to accidental ingestion of edible marijuana (Backfield, Heidi, J.D.)
These brings up the topic of edible marijuana. Edible candy marijuana is a
growing trend in Colorado and it is a danger to young children who cannot differentiate
between regular and THC infused candies. It has been believed that it is not possible to
overdose on marijuana, but that is not the case. Marijuana is at its highest potency to
date and now that marijuana is not only smoked, but eaten, it changes everything.
When THC is infused into an edible snack, there is a far greater concentration of the
drug compared to when smoking (Potera, Carol). For example, the dosage for a pot
brownie for an adult is usually around a quarter of a brownie. I personally have never
known a child to find a brownie, and only eat a quarter of it. Children find these
brownies and other THC infused treats and eat a much larger portion than an adult
should intake, let alone a child. In my opinion, edible marijuana should not exist, but it is
already in circulation and in todays world, once something is out to the public it is nearly
impossible to get it back in.
Regardless of which side of the debate they are on, all officials and professionals
believe there needs to be stricter policies on the distribution and packaging of
marijuana. These policies are up to each individual state to decide, causing an
inconsistency in the packaging of these potentially harmful drugs. Officials call for edible
marijuana to be in opaque packaging so children cannot see what lies inside of the bag,
and as of right now, Colorado is the only state that has made this a requirement of
packaging (Leafly Staff). Some states dont even require medical marijuana edible or
otherwise to be put in child-resistant packaging. Although many states require child-

resistant packaging it is obviously not enough. Marijuana should not be in circulation

until there are serious amendments made to the distribution and packaging policies
created by each state.
Many people argue that marijuana should be legalized for recreational use
because it is not any worse that the effect that alcohol has on a person, but this is not
the case. The content of alcohol is clearly stated on every bottle or can, but marijuana is
not as clear cut. It can be laced with other drugs, and people can react in very adverse
ways. It is also a proven fact that marijuana can be a gateway drug to much more
harmful substances (Should marijuana be used?).Even though alcohol can have
horrible effects on a persons abilities and behaviors, it is not as much of threat to
children. Alcohol is clearly labeled and cannot be concealed as easily as marijuana can
in every day items.
Overall, there just hasnt been enough research done on the effects this drug can
have on a person. Growing up with a Pediatric nurse as a mother, I have always been
involved in the advocacy of chid safety. Children look to us to be able to protect them,
and provide all the right answers, and right now we dont have those answers when it
comes to marijuana. Until we have a substantial amount of research done proving the
safety and efficacy of those drug, I cannot stomach the thought of children having such
easy access to such a potentially harmful drug. Medically speaking we are still far from
proving the effectiveness of this drug, but there is potential for this to occur in the future.
Recreationally speaking, the hazards marijuana can have on a child far outweigh any of
the benefits adults can experience from using this drug. If an adult needs marijuana for
a medical condition, there are twenty three states where they can seek out that

treatment, but I dont think the high and fun that comes from marijuana should ever be
put above the detriment it can cause to children. It is our obligation to protect the future
of our children, and I believe that legalizing the circulation of recreational marijuana
violates that obligation.

Works Cited
Backfield J.D., Heidi. Recreational Marijuana Legalization and the Effects on Child
Health and Safety Childrens Hospital Association. 24 April 2015. Web. (5
November 2015)
History of Marijuana Narconon. Web. 4 December 2015.
Leafly Staff. A State-by-State Guide to Cannabis Packaging and Labeling Laws Leafly.
22 September 2015. Web. 4 December 2015.
Poter, Carol. "Kids And Marijuana Edibles: A Worrisome Trend Emerges." American
Journal Of Nursing 115.9 (2015): 15. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Nov.
2015.
Rollins, Judy A. "Pot For Tots: Children And Medical Marijuana." Pediatric Nursing 40.2
(2014): 59-60. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.
Should Marijuana Ever Be Used to Treat Children and Adolescents? Pro Con Org.
2014. Web. 3 December 2015.
23 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC. Pro Con Org. Web. 5 December 2015.