Posted by Johnny Green at 9:24 PM on February 18, 2012
The
issue of kids and medical marijuana is a very touchy subject. I
remember when they showed a child’s father on the show ‘Weed Wars’
obtaining medical marijuana for his suffering kid. The media firestorm
was almost instant. Many media outlets tried to paint it as ‘a bad
parent forcing his child to smoke pot’ but there was so much more to the
story. The child was suffering, and his dad was purchasing a smokeless
form of cannabis per a doctor’s recommendation. The media often forgot
to mention those details.
How do TWB readers feel about kids using
medical marijuana? If it’s not smoked, such as a tincture or medible,
is there really a big deal? Is it any different than giving them any
other type of medicine. This is a question for parents and non-parents,
conservatives and liberals. It really surprises me that this issue is
only reported on in an explosive manner, and not talked about
rationally.
On the other side of the coin, should teenagers be
allowed to possess medical marijuana cards? What should the criteria be?
In Oregon, if a minor has the signature of their parent and doctor,
they can obtain a medical marijuana card. If you watch the videos below,
you will see that there are many states with this provision. I won’t
lie, it makes me uncomfortable when I hear about
dozens of high school students in Ashland, Oregon flashing medical marijuana cards
at school to get out of trouble. I don’t know each student’s story, but
it seems kind of far fetched that there is that much pain and suffering
among high school students in Southern Oregon. I’m worried that such
stories will make a joke out of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program and
be used against legit patients to take away their program.
On the
flip side again, the laws that govern high school students in regards
to marijuana are outdated and far more harmful to the student than
marijuana is. So maybe me being uncomfortable is unfounded. What do TWB
readers think? Should kids be allowed to use medical marijuana? If so,
when? In only the most extreme cases? Or do you think it’s no big deal
and that it should be entirely up to the parents? Like I said, it’s a sensitive subject, but those are the topics that I like
to talk about most. Time to rip the band-aid off and get discussing!
About Johnny Green
Johnny Green is a marijuana activist from Oregon. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Public Policy.
Follow Johnny Green on Facebook and Twitter. Also, feel free to email any concerns.
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