[Maru]

‘Time to Acknowledge Reality’: The New York Times Warns America Has a ‘Marijuana Problem’
https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/...juana-problem/

The New York Times argued that it was “time to acknowledge reality” and “admit” that the United States has a “marijuana problem” in a new editorial admitting that the legalization of weed in most states has had a wide variety of adverse consequences.

“This editorial board has long supported marijuana legalization. In 2014, we published a six-part series that compared the federal marijuana ban to alcohol prohibition and argued for repeal. Much of what we wrote then holds up — but not all of it does,” began the Times. “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. Legalization has led to much more use. Surveys suggest that about 18 million people in the United States have used marijuana almost daily (or about five times a week) in recent years. That was up from around six million in 2012 and less than one million in 1992. More Americans now use marijuana daily than alcohol,” it acknowledged. “This wider use has caused a rise in addiction and other problems. Each year, nearly 2.8 million people in the United States suffer from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which causes severe vomiting and stomach pain. More people have also ended up in hospitals with marijuana-linked paranoia and chronic psychotic disorders. Bystanders have also been hurt, including by people driving under the influence of pot.”

Instead of calling for a total rollback that would recriminalize the sale and use of the drug, the Gray Lady advocated a policy of “grudging toleration” that might upset “Big Weed,” which, it argues has “a financial incentive to mislead the public about what they are selling.”

“Marijuana companies, not casual smokers, are the biggest winners of Mr. Trump’s decision to reclassify the drug from Schedule I to Schedule III. The change will increase the profits of these businesses by causing the tax code to treat them more favorably. This does not qualify as grudging toleration,” it submitted before concluding: “The unfortunate truth is that the loosening of marijuana policies — especially the decision to legalize pot without adequately regulating it — has led to worse outcomes than many Americans expected. It is time to acknowledge reality and change course.”

[Crimson Dynamo]

The gateway drug,...

[Liam-]

Anybody still against the legalisation of weed is genuinely just either stupid or ignorant