Check out this chart...must see for parents!!

If you read my last blog about drugs and alcohol dependencies and the legality of marijuana, you will find this graph interesting.  My first cousin, Jason Shumake, has his Ph.D. in psychology/behavioral science and is currently an adjunct professor at Texas State University in Austin.  He read my blog and zipped over this graph for me to share.  It is a graph from "The Lancet," a medical journal, on the relative harm of different drugs of abuse. On the y-axis (dependence) is the addictive potential of the drug, on the x-axis (physical harm) is the risk of death...either from short-term overdose or from increased risk of terminal disease over the long-term.  Note that "cannabis" has less dependency and increased risk than tobacco and alcohol.

However...it should be noted that marijuana (cannabis) is on the chart, which means IT IS A DRUG and like ALL drugs, should be avoided whenever possible as a potential risk factor for causing harm to your health.  But this is just more proof that it does not make sense how we criminalize marijuana instead of legalizing it so that it can be controlled like all other drugs. My point is CONTROLLING it when it has such a widespread usage in the U.S., just like we control alcohol and tobacco.  The same rules would be in place that would prevent anyone under 21 from accessing it, and of course, no smoking and driving.  Essentially, it would be treated just like our alcohol laws.

I would love to hear your opinion on the legalization for controlling marijuana!!