Washington Post, 14 Apr 2013 – In the April 9 front-page article “In Md., a flurry of bills at finish,” Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s) was quoted as saying “bad message to the kids” when asked why the House Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, would not vote on a bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Coming on the same day that the Maryland House overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana, this is absurd. As a pediatrician, I have news for the delegate: Medical marijuana sends a signal to “the kids” that not only is marijuana use not harmful but it is actually beneficial. I have been asked by a young basketball player if marijuana could help with his chronic knee pain, and a young woman in my practice recently told my colleague that her daily marijuana habit wasn’t a problem and helped with her chronic headaches and “glaucoma.” Even if that were true, and there is no such evidence, the negative impact of her persistently altered mental state on her employment and educational prospects probably outweigh the benefits.
posted on April 14, 2013 by
