Schools challenged enough without legalized pot

Denver school board members and parents speak out against the passage of Amendment 64, which would legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. 

As school board members and parents in the fastest-growing urban district in the country, we understand the struggles Colorado students are facing. While demographics and specific issues may be different in our communities, providing our children with an excellent education and the tools they need to succeed in the future are a shared aspiration.

Our students are dealing with a lot. Their world is an uncertain place and the challenges they face growing into adulthood require their full, unimpaired attention. Making access to marijuana easier, as Amendment 64 would do, adds one more challenge to their already full plates and makes our jobs as parents and teachers much harder.

That’s why parents and teachers are joining together with elected officials and other community leaders and groups to oppose Amendment 64. In fact, the Colorado Education Association recently announced its opposition to the amendment. This amendment to the Colorado constitution would legalize possession and use of up to an ounce of pot. That’s enough to roll 60 joints – enough to get more than an entire classroom of Colorado students too high to concentrate on the important work of learning.

Read the rest of the editorial at this link to the Education News Colorado website.

Opinion