Just say no to drugs…except, maybe, marijuana. That sums up a growing attitude among youth when it comes to cannabis. The perception that pot is dangerous has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years, according to a survey by the National Institutes of Health. Less than 42 percent of eighth graders feel that pot is harmful if used occasionally (two-thirds still believe it’s dangerous to use regularly); about 20 percent of high school seniors believe it’s risky. It’s not perhaps that surprising, considering two states (Colorado and Washington) voted to legalize pot this November, and several others allow for medicinal use of marijuana. However, experts worry that marijuana use among youth will grow, which can be dangerous. “We are increasingly concerned that regular or daily use of marijuana is robbing many young people of their potential to achieve and excel in school or other aspects of life,” says Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She says teens who used marijuana heavily in their teen years have seen their IQs drop precipitously by the time they hit adulthood. (Fox News)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.