I myself do not smoke marijuana and don't plan on ever doing so. However, I do think that kids are often poorly educated about pot and other drugs. Schools and parents often use scare tactics that I think are more harmful than beneficial. I think those who are shamed, threatened or made to be afraid are often more likely to act out in rebellion and will do so without truly understanding what any particular drug can do to their system and well being.
Author Ricardo Cortez discusses his book It's Just A Plant with Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly is known for interrupting his guests and not giving them an adequate amount of speaking time. So, I decided to check out Cortez's website at http://itsjustaplant.com. Cortez explains that his purpose for writing the book is to encourage children to talk to adults about marijuana. He says that in his book he explains that there are harms that come with pot use and it is not meant for children.
I was curious if the book was really educational or more of an attempt to push an agenda. Cortez actually has part of the book available for a free read on his website. Here are some exerpts from the book.
“What do you do with the flowers?” asked Jackie.
“My friends eat them,” said Bob, “and smoke ‘em.”
“They smoke flowers?!”
“Yep. Doctors, teachers, artists, actors, even mayors and presidents. Marijuana makes some people feel happy. Other people say it’s ‘dreamy.’”
“Why do you use it, Farmer Bob?” asked Jackie.
“I don’t,” he said. “It just puts me to sleep!”
“Wow,” said Jackie, after they left. “I’m going to plant some marijuana at home!”
“We’ll talk about that later,” said her mom. “Now we’re going to see my doctor, Dr. Eden. I think she will have some more information for us.”
“Marijuana,” said Dr. Eden, “is used for many reasons. Like many plants, it can be a medicine or a drug. It can heal pain, it helps some people relax, and it calms the stomach and helps many others eat when they need to.”
“Will it help me if I use it?” asked Jackie.
“No,” said the doctor. “Marijuana is for adults who can use it responsibly. It gives some people joy, but like many things, it can be used too much. I don’t recommend it for everyone. It is a strong medicine - not healthy for you right now. I know you understand that there are some things that are okay for an adult, but definitely not for children.”
Although, the book does indeed offer youngins' information on the drug it also speaks to the drug laws of the U.S. While the entire book is not posted on Cortez's website he does mention that the book explores how marijuana laws can be changed. This seems a bit strange being that the book is supposedly geared towards children that are from a kindergarten age to grade three. Yes, even 11 year olds are smoking pot now a days. But kindergarteners?
Even though as a non-pot smoker I think marijuana should be legalized, I am not in favor of a book that sympathizes with marijuana use rather than maintaing a neutral tone. I can't believe I'm agreeing with some of Bill O'Reilly's statements from the above video. The book does seem to aim towards teaching children that pot should be legalized. Even though I just mentioned that I too think pot should be legalized, I also think that children are too young to really grasp grand scale politics. Although, the book seems to offer it's ideas in a non-threatening tone, I think the book would be more helpful if it was presented in a neutral manner. As the individual child grows, he or she will have to decide for themselves what stance they will take on the marijuana issue.
Parents should definitely take a role in talking to their kids about this topic. Is a book really necessary? Maybe not..or maybe it will assist parents who are having difficulty talking to their kids or who had never thought to talk to their kids about pot. So, perhaps a child's book about marijuana isn't such a bad idea...but I don't know if I'd recommend this one. So, parents if you agree with me that this book isn't the right one for kids...step up! Find a way to talk to them.
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