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Hawaii's attorney general needs to change course on legalizing recreational marijuana use here.
Brain images made by renowned neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Amen reveal marijuana use gives the brain a toxic appearance in many users.
Dr. Amen reports marijuana significantly lowers brain activity, and decreases memory, motivation, learning, focus and coordination. More impaired drivers, anyone?
In young people, pot increases the risk of psychosis. According to the National Institutes of Drug Abuse, marijuana can lead to a drop in IQ by eight points and is linked to lower educational outcomes, with users less likely to graduate from high school or college.
Users also have a lower overall satisfaction with life and are more likely to earn a lower income or be unemployed.
Chronic marijuana use clearly takes a toll and these tolls outweigh any benefit. Marijuana is not good for the brain, just like alcohol or prescription drugs like Xanax or Valium over the long term are not. And there are many other downsides to marijuana, too many to list.
The last thing Hawaii needs is another legal recreational drug like marijuana.
Jerome Kellner
Kahului