By Nick Sestanovich

The legalization of marijuana for responsible recreational use has been a hot-button issue in recent years, and the push has only grown. Colorado and Washington state have legalized the plant, and a marijuana legalization initiative— Proposition 64— is on the ballot in California for the general election.

The debate over the drug’s effect on revenue versus its effect on health remains fierce. No matter how one feels about the legalization of marijuana, the Benicia Police Department and Benicia Unified School District beleive it is important to consider the impacts, especially as they pertain to the youth. To help provide some insight, the Benicia Youth Action Coalition and Benicia High School will be hosting a forum titled “Weeding Out the Facts.”

Although Prop 64 explicitly states that recreational cannabis will only be legal for adults 21 and older, the use of marijuana among teens remains an issue. According to the most recent Monitoring the Future study conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, 34 percent of surveyed U.S. high school seniors admitted to doing marijuana in the past year.

Source: Teen marijuana use to be discussed at Benicia High forum