Marijuana legalization continues rolling across the United States, bringing the green rush along with it. But just legalization doesn’t mean a psychoactive drug is harmless—just as is the case with cigarettes.
The hazy narrative of harmless recreation masks darker truths now coming to light. Evidence is mounting that the push for recreational drug use has led to increases in cannabis-related hospitalizations and links to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, cannabis use disorder, and more.
How Misinformation Fuels Cannabis Health Crisis
Support for legalizing cannabis has gone mainstream, with backing from politicians across parties. This widespread support reflects public opinion—nearly 90 percent of Americans now favor legalization of medical or recreational use, according to a PEW Research Center survey from 2022.The review also highlighted other significant dangers of heavy cannabis use, including the fact that users make up 10 percent of all drug-related emergency room visits in the United States. Additionally, cannabis use is linked to a 30 percent to 40 percent higher risk of motor vehicle accidents.
Misinformation gives cannabis users a false sense of safety, contributing to adverse reactions, Dr. Tucker Woods of Lenox Hill Hospital told The Epoch Times.
“At Lenox Health Greenwich Village Emergency Department, we see patients come in with side effects/adverse reactions to marijuana almost on a daily basis,” Dr. Woods said, noting that as more states legalize, the perception of harm decreases though risks remain.
“Legal doesn’t necessarily mean safe when it comes to substance use,” he added. “Alcohol is a perfect example of this; there are over 140,000 alcohol-related deaths each year from excessive alcohol use.”
Dr. Adam Scioli, corporate medical director and head of psychiatry with Caron Treatment Centers, pointed to the marketing of cannabis as a “natural” treatment for a variety of health conditions despite a lack of research proving its efficacy and increasing evidence that it makes all mental health conditions worse—especially post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Why Cannabis-Related Emergencies Are on the Rise
The increase in cannabis-related ER visits is partially due to potency changes, according to Dr. Jared Pachter, who specializes in family and addiction medicine at Stony Brook Medicine. Marijuana today is much more potent than it was 15 to 20 years ago, catching returning older users off guard.People trying cannabis again after decades may experience severe panic attacks, hallucinations, and more. The effects are going to be “nothing [like] what they remembered,” Dr. Pachter told The Epoch Times.
Adverse Effects
These risks include exacerbating mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cannabis may also trigger new psychiatric issues. Researchers have been studying the effect of cannabis on schizophrenia for decades and are now looking into other disorders as well.“Marijuana is also thought to trigger bipolar disorder in some young males,” Josh New, clinical director at Renewal Lodge, and Peter Piraino, a counselor, both with long-term addiction treatment center Burning Tree Ranch, said in an email. “The disease was present but not active until marijuana was introduced into the system.”
Some psychological disorders now qualify patients for medical marijuana access despite limited research, Dr. Woods said. This leads to unsupervised, potentially dangerous self-medication.
“And so it reinforces this notion for people who may suffer from underlying anxiety disorders, specifically that they hear that it’s used for medical purposes that it validates their self-medicating,” he added. “That can actually be really dangerous for them.”
According to Dr. Woods, treatment for people diagnosed with marijuana use disorder depends on each person’s particular circumstances.
For people with co-occurring disorders, treating the underlying condition may help curb problematic marijuana use. But there are currently no medications to treat cannabis use disorder itself.
Industry Profits While People Pay the Price: Expert
Marijuana legalization may increase youth access through greater prevalence in homes, Dr. Pachter said. This issue hasn’t been adequately addressed, he added, noting precedents with cigarettes, alcohol, and gambling—all profitable ventures that have harmed many people.“Nobody cares about that,” Dr. Pachter said. “You know, the money is there, and that will be chased, and truthfully, what will happen is that more people will develop problems that require treatment.”
This issue is inherent in U.S. corporate culture, where business decisions often supersede consumer well-being, Dr. Pachter said.
“These things benefit a lot of players out there, but the users are not the ones who are being looked out for,” he added. “And it will never be the case; that’s just not the way our industries operate.”
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