Poll: Most Americans Say Medical Marijuana Should Not Be Used By Kids
ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - Most Americans favor the use of medical marijuana by adults — but not by children.
That's according to a new national poll by CS Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, which found that two-thirds of adults support the use of medical pot by adults.
At the same time, poll Director Matthew Davis told WWJ Newsradio 950, one-third of adults surveyed said they'd support state laws that would permit kids to use it.
"When we see the level of support for children using medical marijuana is only about half of the support for adults using medical marijuana, I think that what the public is saying is that they are concerned, as well, about the limited evidence of the risks versus the benefits," Davis said.
Davis said that there is evidence that the legalization of recreational marijuana may have an effect on its use by kids.
"In Colorado we have seen an abrupt increase in the number of children seen in the emergency room for overdoses or toxicity caused by ingestion of marijuana," Davis said. "That is typically not something that has been seen in states with medical marijuana laws."
Additionally, Davis said, four out of five polled said adults should not use marijuana in front of their children.
The new Mott poll comes on the heels of new bills in Congress asking the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a controlled substance that can be dispensed legally. This would allow for broader federal funding of medical research about medical marijuana.
Advocates for medical marijuana argue that it can be safe and effective for treating symptoms related to diseases such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and epilepsy for adults and children. Those opposed are concerned about inadequate scientific testing as a treatment, negative side effects on the brain and other organs and evidence that drug use early in life is more likely to lead to drug addiction in adulthood.
[Read the full report HERE].