Many believe it’s inevitable that Oregon will legalize recreational marijuana. That may be so, and it may be the right thing to do. It’s not, however, as simple as its advocates would have us believe. Ranging from youth access, to impaired driving, to delayed effects from edibles, dozens of issues pose significant questions and risks.

And in Oregon, a rare opportunity is staring us in the face: Let Washington and Colorado, which have already plunged down this path, do the hard discovery for us. All we have to do is wait a few years and we’ll be able to make far better-informed decisions.

Say no to Measure 91, and give Oregon a chance to benefit from lessons learned in Washington and Colorado.

Two issues stand out from the rest: youth access and impaired driving.

Even ardent proponents agree about the unique dangers of consistent marijuana use by youngsters, whose brains are still developing. They argue nonetheless that legalization won’t make access easier than it is now, because any kid knows where to buy pot. But if we normalize use, with mom and dad picking it up routinely and consuming it openly, it’s obvious kids will find marijuana easier to get and less scary to use. While it’s too soon to know how it will play out in Colorado with wider legalization, research shows significant increases in youth marijuana use since the 2009 legalization of medical marijuana there.

Impaired driving under the effects of marijuana poses special challenges, because there is no Breathalyzer that can measure it. Presence of the active ingredient in the bloodstream doesn’t directly match up with impairment. Edibles containing marijuana deliver their effect in delayed fashion that can’t be accurately anticipated.

In a wider context, edibles present other problems. They’re easily confused with regular foods that we eat all the time and that appeal to kids, and the delayed impact can encourage overconsumption.

Of the many other claims, here are a few most often misunderstood:

• Advocates say legalizing pot is the answer to the failed war on drugs and will free law enforcement to spend resources more wisely. In fact, anyone who reads — even just scans — the text of Measure 91 will get a quick view of the complexity of the rules to be enforced and the vast regulatory structure that will be required. In addition, drug enforcement officers say the illegal market is a mix of drugs, and making one or them legal doesn’t take away the problems.

• Tax revenue is touted as a boon for education and other good causes, but estimates vary widely, and the enforcement and regulatory costs are also uncertain. And if taxes are too high, the measure would have trouble achieving the goal of taking pot sales out of the black market.

• Legalization is supposed to stop filling our jails and prisons with hapless marijuana users, but in fact Oregon decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot years ago, and most serving time today have other drugs or crimes involved.

• The belief that marijuana is less dangerous and damaging than alcohol and tobacco is based on community experience when pot is illegal. Nobody knows what will happen to those statistics when it is legal and far more widely used.

Despite these challenges, clearly many people want legal, safe access. Oregon likes to be in the front of the pack on big changes, but this is one where the smart move is to hold back a little and learn from the lessons in Washington and Colorado.