Credible, Science-Based Education is Necessary

The World Health Organization released a study in March 1998 that states: "there are good reasons for saying that [the risks from cannabis] would be unlikely to seriously [compare to] the public health risks of alcohol and tobacco even if as many people used cannabis as now drink alcohol or smoke tobacco.¹

We must provide science-based, effective education to our youth in the context of public health and promote personal responsibility and healthy decision-making. To equate the health effects of marijuana use to the health effects of other illicit drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine, or the health effects of legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco, sends an inaccurate message to our youth, discrediting the anti-drug message and failing to reduce drug use.