An Open Letter to The Wall Street Journal
Stop The Misleading Opinion Pieces On Cannabis
Dear Wall Street Journal,
As a long time subscriber and reader, it is frustrating to watch the editorial board embarrass itself in reporting on cannabis and cannabis legalization.
Your newspaper is parroting the same main anti-cannabis legalization arguments made by prohibitionists since the days of Harry Ainslinger, all of which are easily disproved.
The first and the most alarmist is the false belief that cannabis causes psychosis. Consider Canada, which legalized adult cannabis use in 2018: the country has seen soaring cannabis use and there has been no statistically significant increase in psychosis. Nor has there been an increase in psychosis incidence in the U.S., where state after state has legalized adult use.
So why do critics keep claiming that cannabis is associated with mental illness? Because there are studies of patients with mental illness that show these individuals are much more likely to use cannabis and to have it in their systems. Why is this? Simply, individuals with mental illness are probably more likely to use cannabis among other substances to treat their condition. This tie of cannabis to psychosis is known as correlation without causation. But to anyone who wants to be misleading about cannabis, it is easy to manipulate these data points to scare people into prohibition.
There are others who claim cannabis legalization will lead to a jump in underage cannabis consumption. The data shows a different story: high school students and young people are no more likely to consume cannabis after legalization. In fact, some studies have shown that usage among youths has fallen.
But where critics really miss the mark is in calling cannabis a “gateway drug”. In truth, cannabis is not a gateway drug, rather a much less toxic substance than alternatives already being consumed. Again, let’s look north of the border in Canada where data shows that there are anywhere from 250k to 400k less alcoholics than there should be over the last five years. Why has alcohol use disorder plunged? It’s because of cannabis legalization.
Consider that 178,000 Americans die every year directly from alcohol. The CDC estimates that the cost of excessive alcohol consumption is $249 billion!
And yet, the Wall Street Journal has the temerity to write this about alcohol: “Sure, alcohol can also cause harm if consumed in excess.” The minimization about the dangers and terrible cost of alcohol on our society is a mainstay of cannabis prohibitionists. The 252 page detailed HHS report that serves as the basis for rescheduling cannabis to Schedule 3 goes into great detail explaining how alcohol is more toxic and harmful than cannabis. As a reminder, alcohol is not on the Controlled Substances Act.
Wherever cannabis is legalized, excessive alcohol consumption falls, and so does demand for prescriptions drugs. This is why I consider cannabis to be the great replacement. The craziest stat that I have come across is that workers comp claims fall wherever cannabis is legalized. This study proves the point that cannabis is simply replacing whatever people were consuming to help them get through their day, its just a lot less harmful and toxic.
The most surprising part of the Wall Street Journal’s anti-cannabis tirade, is that cannabis is also the Great American Business story. The U.S. is the natural leader in cannabis, sets trends and has the best products in the world by a large margin. There is a budding, yet fledgling industry that is waiting to blossom upon Federal Reform. But also consider the global potential. Consider that the best selling cannabis in Tijuana, Mexico is California cannabis and Thai farmers have complained about too much US cannabis. This is an industry that has created over 400,000 jobs, has an enormous global growth engine and has the potential to also invigorate our agriculture economy.
With data on its side, cannabis legalization keeps moving forward as state after state and country after country reviews the evidence. Cannabis is not without its risks, but cannabis reform and legalization should be reviewed based upon the facts. And sometimes “new facts are hard,” as Green Thumb CEO Ben Kovler likes to say. I ask the Wall Street Journal editorial board to stop perpetuating the myths of the past.
Sincerely,
Aaron M. Edelheit
CEO Mindset Capital