The cannabis industry has done a stellar job in convincing a significant portion of the public that marijuana poses no problems or harm to those that are the users of such, which is the proximate reason why so many States have legalized, or decriminalized, or have permitted marijuana to be prescribed for medicinal purposes. The thing is that just because something is alleged to do no harm, or perhaps even to provide some sort of benefit, does not in and of itself, mean that this is actually true.
We read at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), that “Evidence suggests that cannabis use prior to driving increases the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident.” In consideration, that vehicle accidents and fatalities in this age of ubiquitous cell phone usage have actually gone up in recent years, despite the fact that cars have never had more safety features so provided to drivers to aid them, indicates that all avenues need to be thoroughly investigated so as to determine whether the usage of cannabis is indeed a meaningful contributing factor to those accidents and fatalities.
Additionally, NASEM, reports that “evidence suggests that in states where cannabis use is legal, there is increased risk of unintentional cannabis overdose injuries among children.” Indeed, one would think that the first order of business of the governance of this nation would be to protect our children from harms and dangers that need not and should not occur. The fact that cannabis is available in forms that are edible and are configured in a way that may well appeal to children should be something that needs a much more vigorous regulation of, so that innocent young parties will not be harmed by that which is of clear material harm to them.
Additionally, we know that smoking cigarettes is a major contributing factor to emphysema and chronic bronchitis, so that logic would seem to dictate to us that those that smoke marijuana on a consistent basis would themselves be reasonably susceptible to those same sort of issues, of which, NASEM tells us that “evidence reviewed by the committee suggests that smoking cannabis on a regular basis is associated with more frequent chronic bronchitis episodes and worse respiratory symptoms.”
So too, the “high” of marijuana, disturbs and discombobulates the thinking process of the brain, in which, NASEM states that “The committee found that learning, memory, and attention are impaired after immediate cannabis use.” This should come as no real surprise, since cannabis users, use cannabis, because of what it so does to their mind and the resultant feelings that so ensue. Additionally, it also has to be stated, that as NASEM reports, “The evidence reviewed by the committee suggests that cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, other psychoses, and social anxiety disorders, and to a lesser extent depression,” which clearly is indicative that not all is right with cannabis use.
Indeed, the evidence that cannabis usage is free of any real problems or bad events is belied by this important and well-researched report so generated by NASEM, of which, this nation has a responsibility to first do no harm to its own citizens – as well as the fact that it also has an inherent responsibility to help be a prudent watchdog to those that are its citizens, and especially to do right by those that are its children. In short, it has to be said, that when reliable and salient information comes to the fore, which contradicts what has been propagated and believed by the public, to then not follow through and thereby do something of substance to counteract this bad event, is surely government malfeasance.