You handled it great, Greenlady! Just beautifully.

I have a very uptight first cousin whose two younger daughters smoke. One of them is 17 and got busted for possession after a routine car stop and one of them is 20 and so far has been more discreet. My cousin wanted me to talk to them about the legal aspects of the younger girl's situation, and I think he also wanted me to launch into an anti-cannabis discussion from my own standpoint as someone who's always been a bit of an overachiever when it comes to school.

I told him I couldn't in good conscience take an anti-cannabis stance, not to him or anyone. I said after learning about it and reading about it and smoking it myself, I know it's far more harmless to kids than alcohol, and I explained it has major untapped potential for medical use. That opened his eyes a bit. He was always such a goodie-goodie. After he had heard my stance, I asked him if he still wanted me to talk to his girls, and he said yes, which surprised me. So I said what I had to say, that I didn't have a problem with cannabis and was a believer in its legalization but that cannabis itself still has a serious problem, which is that it's illegal in most places, including here in Texas. So folks who're willing to take the risk to smoke it really need to be grown up and in a position where they have their own place, their own job so they can pay any legal bills they may incur. It's my personal opinion that they also need to be through with the bulk of their formal education if that's possible. I told his 17-year-old that if she's getting caught with it, it likely means she's not yet ready to be smoking it.

I don't know how this story ends yet. This was just at the end of October we had that talk. So far no more busts, and I don't for a moment believe they've stopped smoking. The story reminded me of your situation with your nephew, Greenlady, so I decided to bore you with it!