Cannabis collectives are the equivalent of traditional drug stores, and should be treated as such. There are no bans on the placement of drug stores, and thus there should be none for marijuana dispensaries. Where is the regulation for these chemicals? Some prescription drugs are forms of illicit drugs, including opium and meth-amphetamines. Prescription forms of methamphetamine and other forms of amphetamines are issued to kids on a regular basis. For all society’s effort to keep drugs out of kids hands, we are allowing profit hungry marketers to repackage meth as something safe for kids. We allow self regulation by companies who are pushing some of the most addictive and dangerous chemicals a human can ingest. The danger cannabis poses compared to most prescriptions is minimal.
The potential for abuse and obtainment by children is no greater than any product sold in the local pharmacy. Should an adolescent be determined to experiment with getting high, the first place they will turn is their parent’s medicine cabinet. This can result in the child obtaining a dangerously deadly cocktail of chemical, whereas cannabis has no risk of overdose or death. Because of the relentless advertising for prescription drugs, and a lack of education, children are likely to perceive these as safe drugs, versus the street drugs they have been cautioned against.
Additionally, a parent cannot bring a child into a pharmacy, grocery store, or gas station without being confronted with the two most deadly substances we posses: Alcohol and Tobacco. Both of these highly addictive and completely useless habits are accepted in mainstream society, yet have absolutely zero benefits on health, with the exception of a glass of red wine. Alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs claim more lives each year than cannabis ever has, and despite controls, the majority of tobacco smokers still start before age 18.
Even if every drug is eliminated, kids huff household chemicals, or even strangle each other just to get a change in perception. Products to get high are in your bathrooms, under your sinks, in your refrigerator. Thousands of unregulated products are available to use to get high, and the ‘do not ingest’ labels disregarded, resulting in permanent physiological and neurological damages. Do we start restricting the sale of sharpies and canned whip cream? The answer is educating our children, not sheltering them. If we are afraid of exposing our children to the current reality of marijuana being used as medicine, legally, by sick adults with prescriptions from doctors, then we should hold other industries to the same standard of discretion. Unfortunately we cannot shelter our kids forever, and the only way to prevent abuse of any kind is through education. Placing a ban on where a cannabis collective can operate will severely limit patient access without any benefit to our children.
The potential for abuse and obtainment by children is no greater than any product sold in the local pharmacy. Should an adolescent be determined to experiment with getting high, the first place they will turn is their parent’s medicine cabinet. This can result in the child obtaining a dangerously deadly cocktail of chemical, whereas cannabis has no risk of overdose or death. Because of the relentless advertising for prescription drugs, and a lack of education, children are likely to perceive these as safe drugs, versus the street drugs they have been cautioned against.
Additionally, a parent cannot bring a child into a pharmacy, grocery store, or gas station without being confronted with the two most deadly substances we posses: Alcohol and Tobacco. Both of these highly addictive and completely useless habits are accepted in mainstream society, yet have absolutely zero benefits on health, with the exception of a glass of red wine. Alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs claim more lives each year than cannabis ever has, and despite controls, the majority of tobacco smokers still start before age 18.
Even if every drug is eliminated, kids huff household chemicals, or even strangle each other just to get a change in perception. Products to get high are in your bathrooms, under your sinks, in your refrigerator. Thousands of unregulated products are available to use to get high, and the ‘do not ingest’ labels disregarded, resulting in permanent physiological and neurological damages. Do we start restricting the sale of sharpies and canned whip cream? The answer is educating our children, not sheltering them. If we are afraid of exposing our children to the current reality of marijuana being used as medicine, legally, by sick adults with prescriptions from doctors, then we should hold other industries to the same standard of discretion. Unfortunately we cannot shelter our kids forever, and the only way to prevent abuse of any kind is through education. Placing a ban on where a cannabis collective can operate will severely limit patient access without any benefit to our children.
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