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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0639.014 2008-2010To Whom It May Concern: This testimony is written in response to Bill 281 aimed to decriminalize marijuana in Hawaii County. I am a public high school teacher who has dedicated 20+ years working with at -risk teens in an alternative learning center setting. I am adamantly opposed to Bill 281 for many reasons but will focus on some of my observations with my teenaged students. First of all, many of my students have been neglected and abused...or raised in foster care...because their parents were grappling with substance abuse addictions or incarcerated due to drug- related offenses. By the time I meet them, they are often challenged with a host of mental health issues ranging from abandonment/attachment issues to depression/suicidal ideations to substance abuse addictions themselves. I would be surprised if many (or any) of these addictions started with crystal methamphetamine or cocaine or heroin use. Marijuana is known to be a gateway drug that eventually (and often does) progress to harder drug use particularly for individuals who are genetically predisposed to addiction. Secondly, many of my students share with me that they used to do well in school, engage in organized sports, spend time body boarding or diving at the beach, etc. when they were growing up. When asked what changed in between then and now, they themselves have said they got "lazy" and attribute this laziness to smoking marijuana. For many of them, they initially smoked marijuana out of curiosity, or to fit in socially, but eventually it became a regular part of their existence which resulted in less energy and motivation to take care of their responsibilities or to even enjoy positive recreation. I remember tutoring a student in algebra once and recognizing that he was finally "getting it." When I praised him he said, "Ms., you know why." I said, "Why ?" He said, "Because I stopped smoking marijuana." He was being drug- tested by his probation officer which helped him to stay clean for several months at that point. I said, "It makes a difference ?" He responded, "Yeah, big time, now I can actually remember what I learn." Although marijuana may seem relatively harmless to some —it's "natural," it's not physically addicting, it doesn't permanently affect your brain, my students tell me— many teens start to rely on marijuana to relieve stress. When asked why they do it, they said that it helps them to "take the edge off' of coping with daily life. Some even say that they can't fall asleep at night without smoking marijuana first because they feel so troubled that their mind is always racing. While it may achieve these purposes, what these same teens are not achieving is the ability to problem solve and to cope with their problems without relying on substances. Not developing these skills will only compound their problems down the road Today they might be smoking marijuana to "mellow out;" tomorrow they might be using cocaine to stay up. I could continue to give examples of experiences that I have had over the years in regards to how substance use, including marijuana use, has negatively impacted my students. However, let it suffice to say that my own students who eventually stopped smoking marijuana later admitted that it played a role in their decline in school, their involvement in criminal activity, and their eventual experimentation with other drugs. I do not want my brain surgeon to be high. I do not want my children's teacher or bus driver to be high. I do not want my own children smoking marijuana or using other legal substances such as tobacco or alcohol because I have seen firsthand how all of these substances have eventually robbed people of potential, ruined families, and devastated lives. Many law- abiding may smoke or drink because it is legal, but they will not touch marijuana because it is not. Legalizing marijuana will add a sense of legitimacy to and increase its use. Please do not support Bill 281. Sincerely, Wendy Hamane Lanakila Learning Center Teacher Comm. No. G39 Ref. To: Ref. Rat© JAN 0 5 2010 I