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An anti-marijuana lawyer has accused lawmakers of being dishonest about the effects THC can have on young adults and society as a whole as Senate Democrats push to legalize cannabis.
“When our lawmakers talk about legalizing marijuana, they talk about it as if it is chamomile tea and has no side effects and there is nothing wrong with consuming it,” said to Fox News Heidi Swan, board member of Parents Opposed to Pot. “But have they told us about the physical side effects, the mental side effects and the increased problems for society? “
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., And Sen. Cory Booker, DN.J., presented a draft discussion for the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which seeks to legalize marijuana at the federal level.
The bill would treat marijuana much like alcohol or tobacco, which would allow it to be taxed and regulated. Buyers must be at least 21 years old and retail transactions would be limited to a maximum of 10 ounces of cannabis or the equivalent amount of any cannabis derivative.
“What they want to legalize are ultra-high potency THC products,” Swan, of California, told Fox News. “And then when you say that, people say, ‘What are you talking about? It’s just marijuana. ‘ No, it’s not just marijuana. It is a highly processed product.
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Swan pointed out that some of these products are treated with butane hash oil, a very potent concentrate that poses extreme risks to those who produce and consume it, according to the Alcohol and Drugs Foundation.
“It’s absolutely unnatural and hasn’t been in a while,” Swan, who occasionally smoked marijuana as a teenager, told Fox News.
“Once, while I was high, I had an experience where all of a sudden I didn’t know where I was anymore, and I didn’t know who I was with,” she recalls. “I only found out years later that there was a name for it. It’s called cannabis-induced psychosis.”
Cannabis-induced psychosis is a possible side effect of excessive marijuana use, according to the Psychiatric Times. In people predisposed to a psychotic disorder, cannabis can act as a trigger, triggering symptoms of psychosis that are usually associated with conditions like schizophrenia.
Swan rarely used cannabis after the negative experience. But her brother, K. Anderson, once enjoyed the “fun house” effect the drug gave him, Swan told Fox News.
He continued to use marijuana “pretty much every day from the time he was in college until he graduated from graduate school,” Swan said.
“He then tried crack and became a homeless drug addict with schizophrenia,” she continued. “He’s been lost to us for a decade.”
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, “Several studies have linked marijuana use to an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, including psychosis (schizophrenia), depression, anxiety, and disorders related to drug use. substances.
Recent research cited by the government institution suggests that “smoking high potency marijuana every day could increase the risk of developing psychosis five-fold. The amount of drug consumed, age at first use and genetic vulnerability have been shown to influence this situation. relationship.”
Swan and his brother finally reconnected when Anderson contacted his sister after spending a year in prison and receiving treatment at a drug rehab center.
Swan and her husband agreed to house her and help her get back on her feet. It wasn’t until nearly a year later that Swan realized his brother was suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness.
The couple wrote a book loosely based on Anderson’s life called “A Night In Jail” to educate teens about the risks of using marijuana.
Despite his personal experiences with the substance, Swan was not always such a vocal opponent of marijuana and even voted for legalization in the 2016 California election.
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“When I voted for it, I thought they were talking about 1970s or even 80s marijuana when I used it,” she said. “I felt like the reasons for legalization were still valid. Get rid of the black market, introduce taxes, all those other things.”
“And then over time, I saw what was going on here in California because of the legalization, and it wasn’t at all what they promised,” Swan continued.
Consequences she then mentioned included the increase in the number of homeless people and the amounts of water used to cultivate this extremely water-intensive crop. Swan said witnessing the rise in homelessness in California after legalization is what motivated her to research the topic originally. Since 2016, California has experienced a larger increase in homelessness than any other state, according to the US Interagency Council on Homelessness.
In addition, amid a worsening drought, illegal producers have stolen water from agricultural wells, aqueducts and fire hydrants to the point that in March, the pressure from the water has compromised firefighting operations, the Los Angeles Times reported. As a result, Los Angeles County firefighters ordered the removal of 100 fire hydrants in the Antelope Valley.
However, the most notable effect, Swan said, was the impact on quality of life.
“People smoke weed while driving. You can smell it everywhere,” she said. “Babies, pregnant women, people with cancer, people who try to exercise – we’re exposed to it all the time. There’s this attitude of ‘it’s legal, I can do what. I want, where I want, when I want. ‘”
Swan’s biggest concern remains the potential long-term effects on young people. “We are running an experiment on the brains of our young people and they are paying the price and their families are paying the price.”
“Even proponents of legalization say young people shouldn’t be using it, but young people are using it and it’s being marketed to them,” Swan told Fox News. “It shows up on their phones, it’s on billboards, it’s everywhere.”
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“I would like Senator Schumer to be honest with the American public about what the studies are saying,” said Swan, calling on the majority leader, who said he would use his “power” to make this issue a priority. absolute in the Senate. “We don’t need more studies. There are a lot of studies and most of them are cut.”
Supporters of the bill argue that communities of color and impoverished people have been unfairly affected by “the failure of the federal cannabis ban.” The bill calls for the removal of non-violent marijuana-related arrests and convictions from federal records and would direct new tax revenues to restorative justice programs.
“It’s not just an idea whose time has come; it’s long overdue,” Schumer said at last week’s press conference. “We have all seen the agony of a young person arrested with a small amount of marijuana in his pocket. And due to the historical over-criminalization of marijuana, they have a very serious criminal record that they have to live with all their time. life. .”
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