With increased cannabis legalization and widespread acceptance, those who favor its continued illegality will fight to grasp onto any last ditch scare tactics. That’s how you know the argument is being won.
One of these scare tactic arguments recently reared its ugly head again – with major news outlets claiming that there is a high public concern over cannabis causing psychotic disorders in vulnerable people. With seemingly zero self-awareness or even the slightest hint of their own irony, these mainstream news outlets then turn right around and deflate any credibility their initial arguments may have had. If they have any remaining journalistic integrity, they’ll go on to admit that mental health studies on the effects cannabis have been limited because it’s still illegal and there are uncertainties over whether it really contributes to mental illness. Thanks for the newsflash! We’ve been saying things like this for decades.
Prohibitionists continue to trot out age-old, tired arguments like these, even though there is no link between using cannabis and developing psychotic disorders, nor is there any proof that those suffering with or at risk of existing disorders were made worse by cannabis as compared with any other drug. The millions of people, who self-medicate with cannabis to treat mental dysfunctions like depression and anxiety could perhaps, anecdotally argue quite the opposite.
While groundbreaking and life saving research and advancements on the benefits of medical cannabis for those suffering with physical ailments is essential, many cannabis enthusiasts are asking important questions regarding mental health. We already know that cannabis can heal people with PTSD. When will more studies and tests be done to determine if cannabis can be effective medication for anxiety, depression, or borderline personality disorder?
A common refrain is the idea that “big Pharma” is controlling everything and is why cannabis remains illegal. While there is widespread influence that large pharmaceutical companies hold, there’s more to it than that. Many law enforcement agencies, the DEA especially, would see major layoffs and job loss if cannabis were completely legal at the federal level.
Which brings us to another debunked prohibitionist argument – that because most young people are in “treatment” for cannabis use than any other drug, it should remain illegal. This short-sighted drivel is smashed once you look at how many people are still arrested for low-level cannabis “offenses” and then forced into “treatment” and paying fines instead of facing jail time. No matter what type of lip service is given towards the drug warriors chasing mostly after hard drug kingpins, make no mistake about it –most drug arrests are still that of harmless cannabis users.
