‘From bright to barely functioning’ – Parents of children harmed by marijuana use urge state officials to reject commercializing marijuana sales in Pennsylvania.

(HARRISBURG, PA) On Tuesday, May 6th, at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, parents of children harmed by marijuana use joined faith and community leaders to urge state officials to reject the legalization of industrialized marijuana for recreational purposes, citing serious public health and safety concerns.

Click here to watch the press conference.

“States experimenting with addiction-for-profit through marijuana legalization has led to more marijuana users than ever before. There is a growing number of families facing the devastating consequences marijuana use can cause, particularly to teens and young adults,” said Dan Bartkowiak, Chief Strategy Officer with Pennsylvania Family Institute. “Today’s industrialized marijuana can cause significant harm and addiction, and a push for recreational legalization — incentivizing the government to profit from more addictive use of this harmful drug — would hurt more Pennsylvania families.”

At a press conference in Harrisburg, parents from Eastern PA shared how two of their seven children became addicted to marijuana. “We have experienced over 23 hospitalizations and residential treatment programs as a result of marijuana use. Our entire family has been traumatized.”

One parent shared how their son was in AP classes and a varsity football captain, but now is a shell of himself due to marijuana use. “He’s unrecognizable—paranoid, manic,

hospitalized twelve times, bankrupt, delusional.”

“All of this started with THC.”

Another parent: “Marijuana is destroying my family. My only child is destroyed to the core. He

first tried weed in 9th grade, and since then, this young, smart, hockey player has fallen deep into addiction,”

“Too many people are naïve to the real harms of today’s commercial marijuana,” stated Crissy Groenwegen, director of the Parent Action Network for Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

Naïveté to today’s industrialized marijuana is why more and more are speaking out in warning that commercializing high-potency marijuana products would lead to significant public health, safety, and societal harms. 

The experiences shared by these families are echoed by a growing number of health professionals and organizations who warn of the consequences of commercializing marijuana.

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “opposes legalization of marijuana because of the potential harms to children and adolescents.” PA Chapter, AAP: “We can reasonably expect that, with its legalization, the prevalence of marijuana use among both adults and adolescents will increase in our state.” Dr. Sheryl Ryan
• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) “opposes the recreational use of marijuana.”
• American Medical Association (AMA) “believes that the sale of cannabis for adult use should not be legalized.”
• American Psychiatric Association: “There is no current scientific evidence that cannabis is in any way beneficial for the treatment of any psychiatric disorder. In contrast, current evidence supports, at minimum, a strong association of cannabis use with the onset of psychiatric disorders.”
• American Society for Addiction Medicine “does not support the legalization of marijuana.”
• Association for Addiction Professionals “does not support the legalization of cannabis for recreational use, largely due to the addictive nature of cannabis.”
• Christian Medical and Dental Association: “The cost to society of recreational marijuana legalization is greater than tax revenues produced from its sales.”

Law enforcement agencies and additional groups are also opposed to marijuana legalization for recreational use:

• American Automotive Association (AAA) “opposes legalization of recreational cannabis due to an expected increase in cannabis-involved traffic fatalities.”
• Caron Treatment Centers: “If we continue towards the path of full legalization, we need to prepare ourselves to deal with the increase in problem usage. Far better would be to prevent the problems in the first place.” Dr. Adam Scioli, Medical Director and Head of Psychiatry
• Commonwealth Prevention Alliance: “Legalizing and introducing recreational marijuana are counterintuitive to the health and safety of PA communities.” Jeff Hanley, Executive Director
• Lancaster Newspapers Editorial Board:  “Legalizing marijuana isn’t the answer…there has to be a better way.”
• Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police: “Marijuana is a dangerous drug that poses a real threat to public safety and public health.”
• Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association: “Marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania will pose significant challenges for law enforcement as a result of the unanticipated consequences it has on crime and public safety.” Scott Bohn, Executive Director
• Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association: “Our opposition stems from science, research and data, as well as information from our drug addiction specialists.” John Adams, Berks County District Attorney
• Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association: “Mass-commercialization of recreational marijuana would be a major setback.” David Taylor, President & CEO
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Editorial Board: “The increasing potency, the new ways it can be used and the growing domination of the market by corporations, has complicated the question of legalization.”

Additionally, over 160 pastors and faith leaders from across the Commonwealth who have signed an open letter to Governor Josh Shapiro and state elected officials. Signers include Dr. Todd Williams (President and CEO of Cairn University), Dr. Barry Whitworth (Baptist Resource Center), and Dr. Don Immel (PennDel Assemblies of God).

“There is substantial evidence that marijuana use is contributing to rising addiction rates and other serious harms, and commercializing its sale will make these issues worse,” writes the open letter.