Dear Editor:

Last November a majority of voters voted “yes” on Proposal 1, making recreational marijuana legal in Michigan. Each person over the age of 21 will be able to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and each house will be able to grow up to 12 plants thanks to this ill-advised measure.

Now we read about the arrest of three Oakland County men and the confiscation of cannabis product with a street value above $2 million. Should we be surprised?

Perhaps we should have learned from what happened in other states. Colorado legalized marijuana in 2012 and the effects there have been troubling. Colorado has had a large increase in fatal car crashes due to driving under the influence of marijuana. Beyond crashes, there has been a 40 percent increase in school suspensions due to marijuana. There has also been a rise in poison control calls and emergency room visits. Unfortunately, the marijuana black market has increased, not decreased.

Despite the warning signs, advocates in Michigan pushed to have marijuana legalized in our state. We are already starting to see problems emerge and they will continue to escalate in the years ahead. Michigan will come to regret this bad decision and its residents are likely to suffer many avoidable consequences.

Samuel Peake

Orion Twp.