By David L. Black, Ph.D.

The above-titled article by Sue Homola and Raymond Wiggins, recently published in The Patriot Post, is a very good overview of why the subject of marijuana harm deserves continued attention. Although my doctoral research thesis in the 1970s well-documented the science of cannabis/marijuana, and the universal understanding of human harm that comes from habitual use, a well-financed lie can quickly become a false truth. That is perfectly exampled by the recent (the last 50 years) rewriting of the safety of marijuana, also referred to as cannabis. And the real story of how marijuana has become viewed as “safe” is the way in which all evil succeeds: incrementally:

Hemp is good for clothing/rope/etc. ➡️
    Healthy products such as hemp soap, hemp beer, etc. ➡️
        Medicinal use approved without evidence (such a CBD unique to marijuana) ➡️
            Marijuana legalized for recreation use ➡️
                Ultimately all drugs legalized (the “end game”)

Up until World War II, most widely abused drugs were derived from plant products. This was also true for most medicines. Most modern abused drugs are synthetic products developed since WWII with greater potency and more easily obtained via legal and illegal sources. Marijuana is exceptional in that it was not used widely as a medicine even during the time in which medicines were principally of natural origin.

History and experience have demonstrated that the plant was more harmful than beneficial. THC is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the primary psychoactive chemical unique to the cannabis plant. Over the past 50 years, the cannabis plant has been cultivated to greatly increase its THC natural content from 3-5% up to over 20% (w/w) today, which makes the plant addictive and more harmful.

The process of increasing the potency of marijuana to lead to addiction was intentional to create an enslaved customer base for lifetime purchases. If this sounds familiar to the tobacco story, that’s because the same strategy was employed. And remarkably, at the same time marijuana was being developed to cause greater harm, the well-financed marketing that falsely states marijuana is safe was also being created. This false marketing has been supported by a number of billionaires hoping to reap additional fortunes from future addicted marijuana users: George Soros, Peter Thiel, Richard Branson, John Mackey, and George Zimmer are a few.

To ensure that the lies of safety were not refuted by facts, the Obama administration closed down the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) in 2011, which for decades had collated information from emergency rooms (drug overdose) and medical examiner offices (drug pathology and death) regarding which drugs cause the greatest harm in America. The last DAWN report documented that the following three drugs, when used alone and not in combination with other abused drugs, caused the greatest number of emergency room visits: cocaine (505,224), marijuana (455,668), and heroin (258,482). That marijuana would be responsible for the second-most drug-related emergency room visits is not a statement of safety but rather an alarming fact of harm and disruption to society.

Closing the DAWN system and thereby preventing the gathering of such important information denies researchers and politicians the knowledge needed to craft good policies and practices regarding all drugs, including marijuana — which, of course, was the very purpose of closing DAWN.

Barack Obama promised that as president, he would fundamentally transform America — and legalizing marijuana has certainly done that, as evidenced by the long-term homeless crisis in the first states to legalize recreational use. Two prominent effects of marijuana are “amotivational syndrome” (users choosing not to work) and the use and abuse of much more powerful and self-destructive drugs (the “gateway” effect).

My career as a forensic and clinical toxicologist has verified over and over both of those effects.

After a career of researching and dealing with the consequences of cannabis/marijuana use, I would like to add the following to the excellent article referenced above:

1. Some studies have documented that marijuana smoke contains more carcinogens — and at greater concentrations — than tobacco smoke. Marijuana smokers inhale the smoke and carcinogens more deeply into their lungs to enhance the absorption of THC. It is reasonable to expect that, at a minimum, long-term marijuana smoking will lead to diseases similar to those of long-term tobacco use. Unfortunately, this will only be revealed over time through illnesses documented in our cancer centers.

2. Marijuana smoking leads to intoxication — similar to that of alcohol — which impairs fine motor control necessary for safe driving (and other skills). Studies have shown that such effects on driving may last up to 24 hours after smoking cessation. This creates opportunities for unsafe driving similar to the current risks posed by those who drink and drive.

3. The alleged “safe” marijuana actually combines the adverse health concerns of the two greatest legal and harmful products in our culture: tobacco and alcohol. This cannot lead to a healthier society.

4. NIH research has documented that adolescent use of marijuana is estimated to decrease IQ by 5-10 points. By claiming marijuana produces no harm, we are reducing the average intelligence of our society.

Throughout my career, I have been confronted by individuals who insist their marijuana use does not even affect them and thus is entirely safe. So, are they saying that, in many instances, they have broken the law and spent hard-earned money to acquire and use a product from which they receive no perceptible effect?

I have learned not to listen to the drug users as regards the harm of abusing drugs. I also do not listen to addicted gamblers for financial advice.