Saturday is April 20, a day that many marijuana enthusiasts associate with the drug.
Originating in 1971 with five high school students in California, the day has foolishly become a celebratory ritual in contemporary culture. But April 20, or 4/20 as it has become commonly known, is not a day that warrants any observance. Marijuana does not deserve any celebration. This is especially true given the trove of devastating facts revealed about the drug in multiple studies released in recent years. We should be working to end recognition of 4/20, not encourage more acknowledgment.
Dr. Kevin Sabet agrees.
“Increased car crashes. More kids and adults high every day,” Sabet told me. “The stench of highly potent ‘skunk-weed’ permeating our major cities. 4/20 isn’t something to celebrate.”
Sabet knows a thing or two about drugs, specifically marijuana. He is a former White House drug policy adviser to Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Currently, he serves as the president and CEO of the policy advocacy group Smart Approaches to Marijuana.
“And let’s be clear: Today’s pot movement isn’t about the rights of adults to smoke a joint in the privacy of their own home,” Sabet told me. “Nor is it about releasing people from jail. It’s about something far more cynical: the mass commercialization of marijuana.”
Sabet explained many of the dangers associated with using marijuana. He detailed how the push to legalize marijuana has backfired, resulting in harmful problems linked to the drug. The commercialization has led to numerous negative ramifications throughout the country.
“Commercialization is the effect of our now ten-year ‘experiment’ with legal weed,” Sabet said. “Corporations hellbent on making money have commodified the pot movement, and we as Americans should stop falling for it. Today’s marijuana is nothing like the Woodstock Weed of the 1960s, let alone the marijuana of even the Obama era. It’s genetically bred to be up to 99% pure THC — and with that comes dangerous consequences.”
Recent studies have linked marijuana use to a variety of harmful mental health issues. Such problems have been entirely overlooked by many of marijuana’s legalization proponents. In turn, that has been problematic, causing many people to suffer. Sabet elaborated on the matter.
“One of those consequences is a rapid rise in psychosis and schizophrenia,” Sabet said. “A study published in The Lancet found that daily users of high-potency marijuana — which is now being engineered to contain up to 99% THC — are nearly five times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder. Indeed, marijuana is associated with other mental illnesses, ranging from anxiety, depression, and even suicidality. Marijuana use can severely impact brain development in youth, leading to lower IQ and worse mental health, academic, and professional outcomes, even long after discontinuation of use.”
Marijuana use has also been linked to dangerous conditions that go beyond mental health problems. Sabet mentioned other recent studies in which the drug has been linked to physical concerns, including severe cardiovascular problems and other dangerous links.
“Marijuana use can also cause cardiovascular harm and may lead to testicular cancer,” Sabet said. “Research also tells us that secondhand marijuana smoke is four times worse than secondhand cigarette smoke. Four times worse. The number of marijuana-related ED visits increased from 804,285 in 2021 to 918,029 in 2022.”
Marijuana use from legalization has also been problematic for the country’s youth. Numerous studies show that children are suffering as well.
“For youth, substance use is related; 95% of people who do not initiate any drug use, including nicotine, alcohol, or marijuana use, by age 21 are unlikely to ever do so,” Sabet explained. “This is partially why it is crucial to discourage any substance use for college students. It should also be noted that every state with commercial marijuana sets the minimum legal age of consumption at 21, meaning that only a fraction of student-athletes would be legally eligible to consume marijuana or THC.”
These are problems that have incrementally developed over time. The push to legalize marijuana has been around for decades. It’s often been branded as a benevolent drug that actually helps people and doesn’t cause any harm. Such messaging started over two decades ago, in the 1990s, when proponents called for the legalization of “medical marijuana.” Since then, efforts have expanded beyond medical use. Sabet explained the long, winding path of yesterday that created the dangers and problems of today.
“In 1996, California became the first state to legalize so-called ‘medical marijuana.’ This was followed in 2012 by the legalization of recreational marijuana by Colorado and Washington, in defiance of federal drug laws,” Sabet said. “The state-level legalization of marijuana opened the door to the legalization of other drugs too, notably psychedelics. In 2020, Oregon became the first state to legalize psychedelics for medical use. Colorado followed suit in 2022. Notably, in 2020, Oregon also decriminalized the possession of all other drugs, which has faced public backlash and seen rising rates of crime and overdoses. These initiatives normalize these substances and reduce associated risk perceptions, which are associated with increases in experimentation and use.”
“A central theme of these state-level reforms is that they are backed by well-funded special interest groups, such as the Drug Policy Alliance, which do not have public health as their overarching goal––the DPA, for example, wants to repeal drug laws, no matter the consequences,” Sabet said. “These policies threaten to either undo and reverse progress made, including with the reduction in youth use, or to exacerbate the issues facing our country by contributing to more overdose deaths and a higher prevalence of substance use disorder. Public health organizations are often outmatched and cannot compare head-to-head against these organizations.”
Similarly, many people have expressed criminal justice concerns regarding marijuana. It’s been an integral part of the marijuana discussion for years. To this, Sabet offers a common sense and benevolent approach.
“This doesn’t mean we should lock up and jail users,” Sabet said. “No one is calling for a recriminalization of marijuana. But the marijuana industry has gone too far. It will continue to produce and promote increasingly potent products to maximize its bottom line, while opposing regulations that would protect vulnerable populations.”
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National efforts to legalize marijuana opened a Pandora’s box of problems throughout the country. They’ve arguably done much more harm than good. None of it is worth celebration or recognition.
“This 4/20, let’s remember what today’s marijuana movement is all about hooking the next generation of users to generate more profits,” Sabet said. “It’s time we push back.”
Originating in 1971 with five high school students in California, the day has foolishly become a celebratory ritual in contemporary culture. Read More