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A Dangerous Signal

First Selectman Matt Hoey has announced that the Board of Selectmen (BOS) intends to allow retail marijuana based on a 2022 survey. Mr. Hoey ignores that the primary concern expressed in the survey (94% of residents) was to protect Guilford’s kids.

Our nation has given up on protecting teens from the neurological impacts of marijuana. Guilford doesn’t have to follow the national path. If the BOS wish to protect our kids before commercializing cannabis, they will have to get personally involved and lead a program involving parents, our schools, town agencies, churches, sports leagues, and most of all, our kids.

It is easy to authorize retail marijuana, but an effective prevention program would take a lot of time, energy, and resources and probably wouldn’t work. Why take a difficult path when it leads to failure?

The answer — there is considerable scientific evidence that cannabis use can cause neurological damage in teens, especially if use starts at a young age, in large quantities, and involves the new highly potent THC products. The BOS should starkly present that information to all Guilford residents.

A new survey with that information should ask: (1) Do you believe commercializing cannabis will send a helpful message to our kids? (2) Do you favor allowing the retail sale of marijuana before we have effective programs to prevent teen use?

I realize this is a harsh message to the leaders who do so much for our community. But the 2022 survey told the BOS to protect our kids from marijuana. Yes, it’s an almost impossible task. But the selectmen should not wave a white flag and send a dangerous signal to Guilford’s kids without even trying to meet the challenge.

Bo Huhn

Guilford