Discussing Marijuana Legalization with Your Kids

Cannabis Conversations

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER

There is a documented history of cannabis use that spans 5,000 years, yet in many places today, it is still talked about in hushed tones and with sideways glances to see who might be listening. This thin veil of secrecy piques interest, especially in adolescents. Cannabis is now legal for medical and recreational use, so kids have questions. Here’s how to have those conversations:

BEGIN WITH THE FACTS

In March, Governor Andrew Cuomo passed legislation legalizing recreational marijuana in New York, which is now the 16th state (along with Guam and the District of Columbia) to do so. “I didn’t think it would happen, but it seemed to overnight. They’d talked about doing it for years and years,” said Tom Urkevich, manager of Green Witch Vape. The store, which sells CBD products, vape supplies, glass and accessories, has seen the landscape around the controversial drug change since they opened their first store in Greenwich in 2018 and then expanded to a second location in Ballston Spa the following year. “It was definitely taboo before, but now, it’s brought in people who would not have stepped foot inside the store before,” he said. The new law, called the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, allows for the possession of up to three ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of cannabis concentrate. It also allows for the growth of up to six plants at home.

BE HONEST

New Yorkers who are 21 years and older, can now smoke marijuana almost everywhere they can smoke tobacco (with some exceptions; there’s no smoking in parks, on public or in private transportation, in some restaurants and bars). In addition to the smoke, adolescents are going to be seeing more vape pens, pipes, bongs, edibles, and equipment in more places. They are going to hear ads, see it in the news, and pass by more shops. All of this exposure might seem like it would increase underage cannabis use, but data indicates that legalization actually causes a decline in the number of adolescents who are trying and using the drug regularly. The reason? It increases honest discussions between parents and kids. Adults have the opportunity to control the narrative, to educate kids more fully about what cannabis is and why people use it. State officials are also launching an awareness, education and prevention campaign that will include school programs. “Education is so important. We have to be very educated so we can help teach everyone who comes in here,” said Urkevich. Minors under the age of 21 are not allowed inside Green Witch Vape. Signs are posted and IDs are required.

MAKE IT AN ONGOING CONVERSATION

Cannabis legalization, like conversations about alcohol, are not something that you have just once, they are a series of ongoing conversations. The state rollout during the next few years will include licensed dispensaries opening as soon as December 2022 and the growing of plants at home 18 months after that. The new laws will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue into the state, farmers will be eligible for loans and grants, and tens of thousands of people previously convicted for possession will have their records expunged. Asking adolescents questions about what they know will help you formulate age-appropriate answers about these changes. SF