The mainstream media just can’t give up their relentless coverage of the evils of cannabis. The good news is there’s been a strong and negative reaction to this propaganda. One example is a story The New York Times front page story entitled, “Unexpected Problem in the Rise of Marijuana.”
Here’s the link:
Here’s the lead to the story:
“From Washington State to West Virginia, psychiatrists treat rising numbers of people whose use of the drug has brought on delusions, paranoia and other symptoms of psychosis.There is severe vomiting induced by the drug that physicians say was rare but now is common.”
The article starts on page one and jumps to page A17 where it takes up two full pages facing each other. One can only guess why the Times decided to run this factually flawed hit piece on cannabis, but maybe it has something to do with derailing the legalization movement by spreading fear that it’s dangerous like fentanyl or heroin.
The outcry has been dramatic.The best rebuttal we’ve seen was posted on Substack by Dr. Peter Grinspoon, one of most highly respected authorities on the subject of cannabis.
Here’s our favorite from Peter’s commentary on cannabis addiction where he compares weed to caffeine:
“My personal opinion is that cannabis is about as addicting as caffeine. People get extremely dependent on caffeine, yet still manage to enjoy fulfilling lives, not unlike the use of cannabis for many people. Caffeine usually isn’t particularly disruptive, unless you develop palpitations, heartburn, anxiety, or insomnia. Heavy, regular users of either cannabis or caffeine are susceptible to symptoms of cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms. The use of either should not be stigmatized or criminalized. Finally – there a misconception that “all drug use is bad” under any circumstances (except, of course, alcohol…) which I disagree with, but that is for another day. – Dr. Peter Grinspoon
Here’s an excerpt from his Substack post:
“There are many reasons why our definition of cannabis addiction is not only broken but has been harmful to people. When you give someone a definition of “addiction” (to anything…) when they aren’t addicted, it harms them. They are treated with stigma and judgment by their healthcare providers and are discriminated against by insurance companies. This can result in tangible harms. For example, it has been demonstrated that people who are labeled with any addiction are prescribed fewer pain medications by their doctors and are not treated with as much compassion. Doctors unfortunately share the same stigma against addiction that most other people do.
Peter Grinspoon, M.D. is a primary care doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and has been a cannabis specialist for twenty-five years. Dr. Grinspoon is a popular speaker and is frequently featured in the national media, on issues such as cannabis, addiction, and physician health.
Here’s the link to Peter’s article on Substack.
https://www.petergrinspoon.com/