Catalyst

Informed Families Catalyst

President's Message - October 2014

Posted by Peggy B. Sapp, President & CEO on October 14, 2014 at 3:36 PM

Peggy_Sapp_headshot_2010_smallBE CAREFUL WHAT YOU VOTE FOR!!!

Society is overwhelmed with information, so we just hit “agreed” and proceed. Who has time to read all the legalese?

That is the situation Floridians are facing November 4, 2014, when voting on Amendment 2 (Medical Marijuana). We are tired of the drug war and want to stop hearing about it! So it is tempting to just hit “agreed” and move on. But, this time it is critical to read the legalese and accept that Amendment 2 is no panacea for fixing society’s drug problem.

When seven retired Florida Supreme Court Justices (both parties) agree that Amendment 2 will create more confusion and problems; we should listen.

When no Florida medical association has endorsed Medical Marijuana; we should listen.

When the 15 states that have voted for Medical Marijuana are the 15 states experiencing the biggest increase in marijuana use in kids ages 12-17; we should listen.

When Washington State Toxic Center reports an increase of 11% in kids 1-12 from marijuana edibles; we should listen.

When the Office of National Drug Control Policy finds that approximately 1 in 11 people who use marijuana become dependent on the drug; we should listen.

When 25% of all fatal traffic drug-related fatal vehicle accidents in the U.S. involve marijuana; we should Logo_-_Dont_Let_FL_Go_to_Potlisten.

When California reports that the Emerald Triangle (the northern counties growing pot) are harming the rivers and salmon; we should listen.

When the Florida Department of Health says if the Amendment 2 passes, we can expect nearly 1800 pot shops and over 400,000 users; we should listen.

When the Journal on Addiction publishes two decades of research from Australia saying Marijuana is addictive; we should listen.

Why don’t we listen to experts? They drone on too long. They are dull, boring, and preachy with too many statistics. We have a short attention span because we are very busy multitasking, so the norm is to hit “agreed” and proceed.

Addiction and drug use is not a simple issue. Please don’t believe the urban myths circulating in the popular culture and on the media; listen to the experts. The child you save may be your own.

I appeal to you to vote NO on Amendment 2. 

Topics: President's Message, parenting, addiction, drug trends, marijuana

About Us

We teach people how to say no to drugs and how to make healthy choices. To reduce the demand for drugs, Informed Families has focused its efforts on educating and mobilizing the community, parents and young people in order to change attitudes. In this way we counteract the pressures in society that condone and promote drug and alcohol use and abuse. The organization educates thousands of families annually about how to stay drug and alcohol free through networking and a variety of programs and services .

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