Hickey: Marijuana slows achievers

Washoe Assemblymember Pat Hickey has come out against the marijuana legalization measure that will appear on next year's Nevada ballot.

In a prepared statement, Hickey—former Assembly Republican floor leader—said he took that stance in the interest of U.S. productivity after returning from a trip to Vietnam “where I witnessed firsthand the incredible strides our former enemy has made in overtaking America's educational status in the world.”

Hickey took the position in his email newsletter. Quoting former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown and California Gov. Jerry Brown, Hickey said pot and low achievement go hand in hand.

“It is true—and numerous studies show—that early marijuana use by adolescents is associated with lower educational attainment. Studies also show that regular pot use by teenagers results in higher high school drop-out rates (28 percent who do, 14 percent who don't). Additional downer news for young stoner users—they do worse on college entrance exams and end up with lower IQs among adolescents.”

The 2016 measure achieved ballot status through an initiative petition.