The Art of Raisin Picking and the Real Problem with Cannabis in America

The art of picking raisins
Provide perspective for unnuanced news opinions

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/06/congress-pots-ill-health-effects-00081178

Yes, this will be the opinion of an opinion – because the article I am about to cover poses as a “news” article, but is in fact a poorly constructed opinion. My goal today is to uncover the content of this article and show how the “machine” uses information to maintain policies that are crumbling society as a whole.

In today’s “sniper session” we will analyze an article written by a man named Ben Leonard, who according to his Politico biography is;

Ben Leonard is a Health Technology Reporter at POLITICO, covering DC’s digital health actions in government, Congress and the White House, and across the industry.

He is also co-author of POLITICO’s Future Pulse newsletter.

The article in question is entitled; “Pot makes people sick. Congress is catching up.”

While many of the things Ben says in the article are factually correct, the way it is presented presents cannabis in a biased light. I want to set the record straight.

Argument 1: Current health problems with cannabis

In the article, Ben writes in his opening statements;

But policymakers overseeing legalization have been surprisingly oblivious to its public health implications. Only recently has a steady stream of data emerged on health effects, including emphysema in smokers and learning delays in adolescents.
SOURCE: POLITICS

Except that he doesn’t cite any sources for this claim. It’s just left in there and the reader is supposed to trust Ben’s opinion.

I would like to see the data for this “new information”. Especially since I’m the person who oversees all things cannabis, I would be aware of these “streams of data” suggesting people are getting sick.

And while it’s true that there are people who get intoxicated by cannabis, the truth of the matter is that it’s a tiny percentage compared to the larger population that uses cannabis.

The use of cannabis as a medicinal and recreational substance dates back thousands of years, with evidence of its use and cultivation being found in various cultures and civilizations around the world. For the past few decades, scientists and researchers have studied the effects of cannabis on the human body, with particular attention to its medicinal properties and safety of consumption.

One of the leading countries in cannabis research is Israel, where scientists have been studying the plant and its effects for many years. Israel has been at the forefront of cannabis research, conducting clinical trials and publishing numerous studies on the subject. These studies have provided valuable insight into the effects of cannabis on the human body and helped dispel many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding its use.

Despite the limitations of cannabis research in the United States, the data and scientific literature on the subject is extensive and robust. The overwhelming majority of studies indicate that cannabis is safe to use for the majority of people, with only a small subset of people with pre-existing conditions experiencing potential adverse effects.

The available data and scientific literature on cannabis use suggest that it is generally safe for the majority of people. Although more research is always needed, the evidence to date suggests that the plant has been used safely and effectively by humans for thousands of years, and that its use poses relatively few risks for the majority of people.

Argument 2: “The evidence is (perhaps) overwhelming”

While this following section is not a single citation of evidence, no study has been able to prove a causal link between whatever the problem was and cannabis. For example,

Researchers found that teens in states that legalized recreational cannabis saw a “slight” increase in asthma rates among children ages 12 to 17 from 2011 to 2019 compared to states where cannabis remained illegal. The team from City University of New York, Columbia University, University of California San Diego and others also found an increase in asthma in children of some racial and ethnic groups.

Except that kids in this age group predominantly use vaporizers instead of smoking joints, and a 2020 study titled “Medical Cannabis in Asthma Patients” concluded;

Cannabis has bronchodilator effects on the airways and may have anti-inflammatory effects in asthmatic patients. However, harmful effects on the lungs are mainly attributed to smoking and include irritation of the airways and the development of chronic bronchitis symptoms.

SOURCE: PUBMED

That said, if these kids mostly “vape” and don’t smoke, then it’s probably in their best interest to think about what elements are housed in the vaping devices. We know that EVALI caused a lot of concern a few years ago, but I doubt researchers even think that way.

That’s because when researchers talk about age groups like 12-17, they fail to understand the cultural implications behind cannabis use. I do this because I’ve been writing about cannabis culture for 15 years.

Obviously there would be an impact on the results if you consider “smoking vs vaping vs eating” all of which will have different effects on individuals. Not to mention that cannabis already has a unique effect on each individual due to its endocannabinoid system.

The rest of the article also points to suggestive “evidence” linking it to other conditions I’ve shown in previous articles as an outlandish way of interpreting data according to the narrative.

To be fair…

Ben is not calling for cannabis to be kept illegal and I respect that. But what he is doing is presenting cannabis as a “dangerous threat” to society when in fact it is not. The danger we see and all the evidence he points to suggests that the population is “uneducated” when it comes to drug use.

Drug prohibition has long been a source of confusion and misinformation, and has created a “drug-dumb” population that lacks a basic understanding of the effects of certain substances and how they interact with the body and mind. This ignorance is the result of decades of fear-mongering and propaganda aimed at demonizing drugs, particularly those deemed “illegal.” The taboo nature of the subject and fears of legal ramifications have made it difficult for individuals to obtain accurate information about how drugs work and their potential benefits or risks.

Cannabis is a prime example of the negative consequences of drug prohibition. Despite its long history of use, dating back thousands of years, the plant has been demonized and vilified for decades, perpetuating myths and misconceptions about its effects. The result is a generation of people who lack basic knowledge about the drug and its potential benefits and risks.

By keeping people in the dark about drug use, the government is essentially “giving kids scissors to walk on a busy freeway.” The lack of accurate information and education about drugs increases the risks associated with drug use and creates potentially dangerous and life-threatening situations.

Drug prohibition creates a “drug-dumb” population that lacks basic knowledge about the effects of drugs and how they interact with the body and mind. The ongoing demonization of drugs and the taboo nature of the subject perpetuates this ignorance and increases the risks associated with drug use. It is time to end the drug war and take a more rational and evidence-based approach to drug policy.

This is precisely why the article misses the point…it’s not necessarily about cannabis, it’s about the people who use it. Children also drink schnapps, we have rules on the table for that.

But the federal government refuses to legalize cannabis. Keeping it in the dark, keeping people dumb. The results and possible negative consequences of cannabis are not due to the plant, but to the ignorance that surrounds it.

If people understood that edibles released 11-hydroxy-THC, which is 10 times more potent than delta-9, they wouldn’t leave candy lying around for kids to find. They would lock up their hiding places, they would raise their children in a similar way to alcohol – which is bleak in America.

In the United States, drug education is left to the street dealers who have a vested interest in keeping their customers hooked and uninformed. This lack of accurate and comprehensive drug education perpetuates the cycle of addiction and contributes to the high rates of drug-related harm in the country.

The war on drugs has only exacerbated the problem, leading to increased criminalization of drug use and a lack of resources for treatment and education. The focus has been on punishment rather than prevention, leaving individuals who use drugs without the knowledge or resources to make informed decisions about their own health.

The only way to make the world a safer place is to legalize all drugs and destigmatize adult drug use. This would allow medicines to be regulated and provide accurate information about their effects and risks. It would also provide funding for treatment and harm reduction programs, reducing the burden on the criminal justice system and improving public health.

Legalization and destigmatization would also remove the profit motive from drug trafficking and reduce the influence of street dealers and other criminal elements. By taking the drug market out of the hands of criminals and putting it under government control, we can ensure the safety and quality of the drugs sold while reducing the spread of diseases like HIV and hepatitis.

In summary, the current approach to drug education and the war on drugs has only added to the problem and left individuals vulnerable to harm. The only way to make the world a safer place is to legalize all drugs and destigmatize adult drug use, allowing for the regulation of drugs, the provision of accurate information, and the funding of harm reduction programs.

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