The editorial board at The New York Times recently published a stunning admission titled, “It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem.”
The editorial column acknowledges that widespread marijuana use has created serious public health and safety concerns across the country. Along the way, oversight and regulation have failed in states that have legalized marijuana.
The editors acknowledge that they supported legalization in 2014, writing:
At the time, supporters of legalization predicted that it would bring few downsides. In our editorials, we described marijuana addiction and dependence as “relatively minor problems.” Many advocates went further and claimed that marijuana was a harmless drug that might even bring net health benefits. They also said that legalization might not lead to greater use.
It is now clear that many of these predictions were wrong.
As the editors point out, the numbers tell a sobering story. About 18 million Americans now use marijuana almost daily — that’s triple the number from just over a decade ago. If these frequent users formed their own state, it would be nearly six times the population of Arkansas.
Yale reports roughly 30% of current cannabis users now meet the criteria for addiction. Researchers writing in JAMA found nearly one in three “medical” marijuana users may suffer from cannabis use disorder.
THC — the main psychoactive substance in marijuana — has been tied to everything from heart disease and cancer to stroke, mental illness, and birth defects.
In fact, researchers now say marijuana use doubles a person’s risk of death from heart disease.
And contrary to popular belief, legalization in other states has actually emboldened drug cartels and increased the flow of illegal drugs across the country.
It’s good to see The New York Times finally acknowledge that America has a marijuana problem.
All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
