British Columbians are being unduly and unwittingly succumbed into the premise that marijuana should be "decriminalized, regulated and taxed."

Regulation and control of marijuana, similar to that of tobacco and alcohol, will not reduce its consumption where it is doing the greatest harm - among adolescents.

Proper research concludes that the use of marijuana by the young has lifelong negative effects. It neutralizes their drive, diminishes their ability to focus, stunting ambitions. They avoid life's normal healthy activities and becoming passive-aggressive to authority and to society's norms, scared to take on responsibility for their own lives. Many are failing to achieve adequate grades to further their education.

The result is increasing education costs, repeating high school courses in colleges where those resources should be applied to train people for the workforce. It delays their contribution to the economy and to tax revenues. Maturing marijuana users continue as low achievers, in low-paying jobs, marginalized in the economy, poorer in health.

The costs now and in the future are enormous.

Marijuana is too easily grown; it is too easily available; it is cheap; it is tax-free.

This is not going to change by decriminalization and regulation. It will only now be "legitimized" and its use and ramifications will become rampant. Even more youth will fall by the wayside at school.

They will get onto the entitlement bandwagon and yet more will fail to become thinking, productive, contributing members of community and country.

David Lindsay

Victoria