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There are approximately 13,000 pothead whales in the ocean surrounding Newfoundland and Labrador. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, by legalizing the sale and use of marijuana, will quickly create and surpass that number of pothead whales with pothead humans in Newfoundland and Labrador.

It is obvious that the prime minister and his government have completely ignored the devastating effects that marijuana has on the developing brain of teens and young adults. Parents must become aware of the true consequences of smoking marijuana. Research has shown that:

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency states that, “Drug overdoses kill more people than traffic accidents and gun incidents.” There were 46,471 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. last year. Most drug users begin with recreational marijuana and progress to opioids. Dr. Ed Gogek, an American addictions psychiatrist, states that, “youth who smoke marijuana do worse in school and have two times the drop-out rate of non-users and their IQs are permanently lowered.” Joseph Califano, head of the U.S. National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse states that, “pot smoking adversely affects motor skills and does serious damage to the brain over time.” A recent study from Northwestern University in Illinois established clearly that teen “potheads” had brain abnormalities related to short-term memory performance. Healthy teens who did not smoke marijuana scored 37 times better, on average, than users — not just addicts — who had smoked pot in the past. The U.S. National Institute of Health makes it clear, “one in six youth who try marijuana before 18 will either abuse it or will be addicted.”

Prime minister Trudeau and his government are aware of these research findings yet are prepared to destroy the brains and lives of thousands of Canadian children in this generation and generations to come. This legalization of marijuana must be stopped by replacing this government, which has done more to destroy the moral fibre and values of Canadians than any government in the past.

Tolson Chapman

St. John’s

Opinions expressed in letters are those of the authors, not of The Telegram or its parent company, SaltWire Network Inc.