More states are on the cusp of marijuana legalization. That in mind, the federal government should carefully observe the policy and political dynamics playing out in Colorado and Washington.
It should look closely at the marijuana industry’s deflection of any responsibility for youth use of the narcotic. After all, regardless of how each of us views adult use of marijuana, we should all agree that this intoxicating substance harms teenagers and their developing brains. Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a marijuana advisory in 2019. He stated that “the risks of physical dependence, addiction, and other negative consequences increase with exposure to high concentrations of THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] and the younger the age of initiation.” Today’s commercialized marijuana has little to do with a natural plant. Instead, manufacturers distill THC, the high-inducing ingredient, in an arms race to achieve unnatural potency levels. And THC concentrates make up an ever-increasing portion of sales.
