The GOP’s family policy agenda blames Weed for suicide and violence

Recently, the Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group of 156 members of the House Caucus of the Grand Old Party (GOP), published a controversial family policy agenda.

Part of what is given on the agenda is a discussion of the legalization of marijuana and how it is linked to suicide and violence. Titled “Protecting Children From Drug Dangers,” the section notes that marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, “but that hasn’t stopped a growing number of states and localities from legalizing it under their own laws,” it said in this.

Ironically, the goal of this agenda paper is “restoration of the American family.” Her attempts to criticize cannabis legalization include recommending that edible cannabis products be phased out. “Also, Congress should pass the Protecting Kids from Candy-Flavored Drugs Act introduced by RSC Chairman and Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN), which would increase criminal penalties for anyone found to manufacture or distribute drugs disguised as candy . ” It is reading.

Another ironic aspect is that the committee says the ban is not enough to discourage children from using cannabis. It points to unfounded lies: “This has led to an explosion in marijuana use among children, which is having a tremendously negative impact on their health,” the report states.

Based on the agenda, what the GOP really wants is an increase in criminal penalties for marijuana and other Schedule 1 substances available in candy or beverage form. It is ridiculous that they think these items are being sold to minors! Of course, these aren’t true, but it’s no secret that GOP lawmakers are still opposed to legalizing marijuana.

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GOP still against cannabis legalization

Earlier this April, the House of Representatives passed legislation designed to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. This has been a long time coming, although the bill has encountered numerous bumps in the road. More than 200 House Republicans opposed the bill, and only three of them supported it. If you look the other side, over 200 House Democrats supported it and only two voted against the bill. This pretty much ensured the death of the bill in the Senate.

The GOP still chooses to swim against the tide, as most Americans are already in favor of marijuana legalization. In fact, many voters also support recreational cannabis.

There are many theories as to why there is still such strong Republican opposition to marijuana legalization — as well as many other pressing issues. A quick look at Republicans in Congress reveals that most of them are religious and significantly older. These groups of people are not progressive when it comes to drug reform and the benefits of marijuana, which is why they are so conservative on both family and moral issues.

Also, many Republicans are unaware of how the opinions of other Republicans have evolved over the years. It’s not far-fetched that many lawmakers oppose state legalization of marijuana just because they think they’re doing the right thing by representing the views of their constituents.

In fact, a recent national poll conducted by the National Cannabis Roundtable found that more than three-quarters of self-proclaimed Republicans believe voter-backed legalization of recreational or medical products should not be opposed. They believe the government should instead focus its efforts on removing barriers to these markets. Additionally, 17% of respondents believe that the federal government should not completely walk away from government-legal markets.

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According to the former Colorado Sec. Cory Gardener, a Republican and new board member of the National Cannabis Roundtable, “There has been a massive shift in attitude and it’s obviously clear that Republicans have an extremely positive attitude towards legal cannabis.”

A recent Gallup poll echoes the same sentiments, with results showing that 50% of Republicans support legalization while 49% don’t. “Twenty years ago, you couldn’t get a majority of Republicans to support medicinal cannabis. Now it’s overwhelming support,” Tony Fabrizio of Fabrizio, Lee & Associates told Politico.com.

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Look at the numbers

All one has to do is simply look up the data.

How can the GOP say cannabis legalization is linked to increases in suicide and violence when data shows the opposite is the case? Cannabis helps with mental health, thereby reducing suicide and violence rates where legal.

In a 2021 study analyzing the results of a 2013 investigation that found no link between legalization of medical marijuana and mental health, researchers affirmed, “We found that access to recreational marijuana was associated with a 6.29% reduction in suicide rates among men ages 40 to 49, but no other mental health outcomes were otherwise affected by the liberalization of marijuana laws,” the authors wrote.

“Adverse mental health effects do not follow state-level cannabis liberalization, confirming the results,” they add. “Additionally, there is evidence that recreational marijuana reduces suicide rates in middle-aged men” — and this is just one study among many.

Meanwhile, other studies show that legalizing cannabis benefits the criminal justice system by reducing violent crime. In a study of several, researchers found that legal medicinal cannabis is not an indicator of increased crime rates. dr Robert Morris, lead author of the study and associate professor of criminology, explained that cannabis can actually lead to a reduction in certain types of crime.

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“We’re cautious when we say, ‘Medical marijuana laws will definitely reduce homicides.’ We’re not saying that,” he said. “The most important finding is that we did not see an increase in crime rates due to the legalization of medical marijuana. In fact, we found some evidence of falling rates of violent crime, namely homicide and assault,” he said.

Conclusion

We hope the GOP will open their eyes and get a good reality check. With their support, we hope that one day the federal legalization of cannabis will finally happen, as recent announcements by President Biden seem to point in that direction.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.