Last updated : November 25, 2024
Over the last few years, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in how the public views marijuana use, and most of that is simply because we’ve coddled pot smokers. We’ve allowed them to rant and rave, fueled on nothing but emotion, peddling their pro-drug propaganda without being challenged. As a result, we’ve seen marijuana legalization sweep the nation with dire consequences; increased DUIs, a spike in drug use and resulting ER visits, and a growing apathy and laziness from pot smokers.
The pro drug community has accomplished that by changing the narrative. Instead of marijuana, pot, reefer, or some of the other names you’re probably familiar with, they started calling it by its scientific name—cannabis. Then they stopped calling it a drug, and started calling it “medicine.” That was followed by wild claims that it cures everything from anxiety to depression to cancer despite zero evidence to support those claims.
Throughout all of this nonsense, no one has called pot smokers out on their deception and manipulation. No one has called them out for the danger they are forcing on society. And no one has called them out for pushing bogus pseudoscience just so they can justify their drug abuse habit.
Marijuana is not medicine and it certainly doesn’t cure anything. At best, it’s a reasonable alternative to opioid painkillers. At worst, it’s a dangerous gateway drug that will be abused by an increasing number of people—especially teenagers, because it’s risks have been systematically downplayed.
For years, we’ve compromised with pot smokers despite the fact that they’ve been disingenuous from the beginning of the debate. We’ve coddled them lately, perhaps because years of abusing marijuana has damaged their brains, turning them into hyper emotional people incapable of rational behavior.
Today, we’re at a critical turning point and we only have two choices. The first choice, and one that I believe is a horrible one, is to continue to coddle pot smokers’ fragile feelings, which will lead to more teenagers believing that marijuana is just a harmless plant, causing even more of them to use it. The second choice, which I believe is the only logical and responsible one, is to admit the risks associated with marijuana, roll back legalization, and take the appropriate steps to reduce its use.
Now before some of you accuse me of being biased and claim that I only think this way because I own a drug testing company, you need to understand the context of my thought process. I don’t think drugs are dangerous because I own a drug testing company. I own a drug testing company because I think drugs are dangerous. The distinction is subtle, but critical.
Marijuana use has been proven to cause significant and irreparable damage to the brain of developing adolescents, which should be enough of a reason for it to remain illegal. But since that doesn’t seem to be enough for some people, here are a few more reasons:
- Marijuana impairs judgement, leading to poor choices, including driving under the influence, unprotected casual sex, and trying other more dangerous drugs.
- It inhibits motivation and ambition.
- Marijuana distorts perception of time, decreases coordination, and reduces reaction time, leading to increased driving and workplace accidents.
- It impairs cognitive abilities, making learning, thinking, and problem solving significantly more difficult.
- Marijuana causes significant lung damage.
Does it really make sense to encourage the use of such a dangerous substance? Don’t we owe it to our children and fellow citizens to ensure that it remains illegal and infrequently used? I certainly think so, and if we have to hurt the feelings of a few pot smokers to accomplish that, I’m OK with that. It’s time to stop coddling them, beat back this pro drug nonsense, and restore the safety and productivity of America.
And for those of you in television, radio, and podcasting who are on the pro drug side—I’ll extend an open invitation.If you think that there is no harm in marijuana, invite me on your program and I’ll happily and civilly debate you.
Are you up for the challenge?
