Although it's still illegal for minors in Washington state to use pot and it remains a felony to sell pot to minors, parents are growing anxious about the voter-approved law legalizing adult possession of weed, reports the Seattle Times. They're worried the law sends a message that pot use is endorsed by adult society and not risky. They're concerned about the Seattle Police Department's sometimes liberal approach to marijuana. They're clueless, they fear, about trends such as “dabbing” hash oil and discreet “vape” pens that don't give off the telltale odor of pot.
Even sponsors of the new pot law see a need for high-profile educational messages, similar to government-produced TV ads in Colorado, which also has legalized adult use of pot. Some say Washington should already have started such a campaign, before pot stores open in a few months and kids are exposed to giddy media images of adults using pot. Roger Roffman, a University of Washington professor emeritus whose book “Marijuana Nation” details his own pot use 40 years ago, said most teens don't use pot regularly, and many do it occasionally without harm. Roffman wants to get past exaggeration and scare tactics to accurately convey the risks of marijuana.