Teens at California school getting high on medical marijuana

[Marnie]

Officials at the Grossmont Union High School District have sent letters home to parents, notifying them that a number of students have been caught on campus with medical marijuana cards.

District official Catherine Martin said they are concerned over the growing trend and the "apparent ease" with which teens are able to obtain the cards.

In the letters, parents, students and faculty are reminded that even if the cards are valid, it is against the law to have marijuana on school property.

Recently two East County teenagers were suspended for showing up at school high, with a medical marijuana card as their excuse, NBC 7/39 reported.

During a series of recent undercover sting operations, district attorney investigators identified four or five local doctors who are issuing cards or prescriptions without proper exams or follow up medical care.

Mission Valley is one location where officials said illegal drug trafficking has taken place.

San Diego District Attorney Narcotic Chief Damon Mosler told NBC 7/39 a bogus symptom and some cash is all a teenager needs to obtain a medical marijuana card.

WBIR

But, it was a violence free, happy class!

[kat8585]

It's something new that kids are high at school?? Especially in California?

[peaches]

no. its something new that they are able to justify it more easily and with the help of doctors.

[Guest LadyC]

I'm sure the cards are fruadulent, no Doctor is going to prescribe Marijuana to a minor. Beyond that, I'd rather see them high on Marijuana than drunk on Alcohol. The effects of Alcohol are about a thousand times worse than pot. Of course I'd rather that minors not do anything that's illegal or bad for them...

what makes you think a doctor won't prescribe pot to a minor? the law of california allows minors to obtain medical marijuana cards providing the parents have been informed.

[kat8585]

I'm sure the cards are fruadulent, no Doctor is going to prescribe Marijuana to a minor. Beyond that, I'd rather see them high on Marijuana than drunk on Alcohol. The effects of Alcohol are about a thousand times worse than pot. Of course I'd rather that minors not do anything that's illegal or bad for them...

Pot is every bit as bad as alcohol when it comes to driving. I speak from experience from my young and stupid (with emphasis on the stupid) days.

[sierra21]

I'm sure the cards are fruadulent, no Doctor is going to prescribe Marijuana to a minor. Beyond that, I'd rather see them high on Marijuana than drunk on Alcohol. The effects of Alcohol are about a thousand times worse than pot. Of course I'd rather that minors not do anything that's illegal or bad for them...

Pot is every bit as bad as alcohol when it comes to driving. I speak from experience from my young and stupid (with emphasis on the stupid) days.

Some prescription drugs can be worse than both alcohol and marijuana put together in terms of impaired ability to operate a motor vehicle.

[sierra21]

Believing that pot is not as harmful to the body as alcohol is another grand deception of satan, and a lie that many have bought into. In some respects, pot is more harmful than alcohol.

You know what-- you have to go ahead and read my post again. I didn't say that marijuana isn't harmful, all I said is that it was just as bad as any drug in having the ability to impair your judgment while operating a vehicle.

You don't have to prove anything to me. I agree with you, but I'd appreciate it if you'd actually READ before jumping to the conclusion that I'm advocating the use of marijuana...or whatever it is that you were trying to prove with that rant...

[sierra21]

I'm not upset at all actually.

The reason I thought you were responding to me is because you replied to my comment. It's an honest error, on both our sides I guess.

I thought it was confusing which is why I said that at the end.

[Yahsway]

Balance, your sugar analoguy only adds up to where it hurts the person taking it. Pot does impair people who smoke it, especially when driving while under the influence. Pot may not have any chronic physical effects on the different organs of the body (such as your sugar analogy) BUT, it does affect the brain and the thinking process. If it didnt, people would not want to use it to get "high" Understand?

And so by using it to get high and driving a car while under the influence (unlike driving a car under the influence of a snickers candy bar) the risk is much greater that the person using and driving could end up not only killing themselves but others as well in a traffic accident.

I personally would rather give those kids at that school a Mars Bar instead of something to smoke that makes them believe they are on Mars.

[Oh Hamburgers!]

First off, I want to say that these teens are obviously being stupid, and are abusing a loophole with "medical marijuana".

Secondly, I would crack down hard on doctors in the area, to see if they are actually perscribing marijuana illegally and fraudulantly, or if the doctor's notes are not real.

Third, in terms of effects, I think that alcohol is worse than marijuana.

**NOTE** I have never smoked marijuana, but I know many who have and do on a regular basis. I have been around people when they "light up", and have hung out with stoned/high people on numberous occasions. Being a part of one of the nations leading "party schools", I have had 3 years of experience observing drunk, and/or stoned individuals. My observations come from this experience.

Marijuana gives people a "high", slows reflexes, impairs vehicular operation, increases senses, can increase sexual immorality, and generally makes people slower and less responsive. It is also addictive if used too often. In general however, the negative effects of marijuana are more personal, and do not extend out to affect others.

Alcohol gives people drunkenness, it slows reflexes, impairs vehicular operation, slows senses and reaction, can increase sexal immorality, and generally makes people slower and less responsive. It is also addictive if used too often.

Here is the kicker though: a drunk person is much more likely to commit other crimes than a stoned person. A drunk person is more likely to do stupid dangerous things that could hurt others as well as themselves. A drunk person can die through too much drinking, while it is almost imposible to smoke enough pot to overdose in one sitting.

You could get through a school day stoned much easier than you could get through a school day drunk. I know people who do it, unfortunatly. But you are much less likely to cause a fuss when under the influences of marijuana than you would being drunk.

This is one of those cultural things in my opinion. Because marijuana is illegal, it is treated as something much worse, although I do not feel that is the case. In fact, marijuana is a much more "mellowing" drug than alcohol for most people. Alcohol is much more dangerous for a driver than marijuana, and alcohol causes countless more deaths per year than marijuana does.

So that's my two cents. These students deserve to be punished, but I do not agree that marijuana is worse than alcohol.