Read the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board's take on legalization   Dear John, I wanted to share with you one of the most stunning articles published by the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board: "Did legalizing weed sanction raising demand? Either way, that’s the Midwest reality." This is significant and I fear, signals a much larger issue in the midwest. Here are some highlights from the Chicago Tribune article: "But there’s now substantial evidence that demand has indeed increased. Massively. "A new study supported by the National Institutes for Health has found that marijuana and hallucinogen use among young adults reached an all-time high last year. According to the study, the proportion of young adults who reported using marijuana reached 43% in 2021, a big increase from 34% in 2016 and just 29% in 2011. Among college students, it was even higher. "Almost 30% of young adults said they had used weed in the last month, as compared with just 21% in 2016 and 17% in 2011. Perhaps most striking of all, 11% of young adults reported using marijuana every day, compared with 8% in 2016 and 6% in 2011..." "But one thing Illinois and other states where weed is legal now cannot deny is that usage is rising very fast, especially among the young. And that the legalization process, wherein outlets have proliferated and can now be found in numerous convenient locations, has stimulated that demand..." "There are two separate issues here that should be openly discussed. "There is the matter of decriminalization, for which there is an excellent case. "And then there is the distinct matter of whether this new industry should be allowed to be so successful as to dominate the vistas of the interstates and spark the kind of increase in demand for its products the NIH-supported study revealed. "If alcohol use were rising at this level, there would be legitimate public health concerns. Cannabis should not be exempt from the same conversations." Click here to read the rest of the piece on the Chicago Tribune website This article is so important because it shows that the tide is turning in our favor. This issue has gotten too big to ignore and too big to enable. SAM continues to have a presence in legal states helping to educate parents and kids on the harms of marijuana use through our Parent Action Network. We will continue to help and encourage local governments to enact protections based on public health, not corporate rhetoric. Legalization is not a foregone conclusion and we will continue to fight for the protection of our kids and communities. Click Here to Donate Thank you for all that you do.  Dr. Kevin Sabet President and CEO Smart Approaches to Marijuana SAM Action (A Project of Smart Approaches to Marijuana) | 107 S. West St, Suite 757, Alexandria, VA 22314 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!