LEWISTON — After considerable debate, the School Committee on Monday evening approved a nonbinding resolution urging Lewiston voters to reject legalizing recreational marijuana Nov. 4.
The vote was 5-2, with Chairman Jim Handy, Paul St. Pierre, City Councilor Kristen Cloutier, Tom Shannon and Lewiston High School student representative Sophie Mitchell in favor; Matthew Roy and Linda Scott against.
Superintendent Bill Webster said a growing number of students have been disciplined for having marijuana in school. What’s alarming is that a report from Lewiston High School substance abuse counselor Vicky Wiegman stating 55.6 percent of students said there was no or only slight harm from using marijuana once or twice a week.
Using marijuana weekly doubles a teen’s risk of depression or anxiety and hurts their academic and job performance, Wiegman said.
A challenge for society is that as more adults use, “we, as a nation, are going down this road where teenage use of marijuana is going to be increasing,” Webster said. “The public does not appreciate the significance it is having on youth.”
Scott said she was uncomfortable telling voters how to vote. Roy said prohibition doesn’t work.
Audience members Marcus Talarico and Luke Jensen agreed, both speaking against the resolution.
It’s clear that tight budgets and unregulated marijuana are problems, Jensen said. If marijuana were legalized, it could provide money for schools instead of criminals, Jensen said.
Those who voted for the resolution said they want to protect children; to let voters understand that when marijuana use becomes more accepted, use by youths increases.
“The ultimate goal is statewide legalization,” said Scott Gagnon, a substance abuse prevention manager for Healthy Androscoggin and chairman for the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse. He urged the committee to pass the resolution.
Lewiston doesn’t need marijuana sold in stores along with alcohol, cigarettes and scratch tickets, Gagnon said. “The normalization that this would send to our youth would have a dramatic impact.”
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