Issuing new warnings to adolescents and pregnant women about the negative effects of marijuana, Health and Human Services [HHS] Secretary Alex Azar and Surgeon General Jerome Adams warned of alleged dangers to marijuana use. Yet neither Azar nor Adams cites any specific research to corroborate claims that marijuana use was harmful to teenagers and pregnant women. How marijuana use affects teenagers and pregnant women is anyone’s guess, part of the government’s ongoing negative publicity campaign against cannabis use. Calling marijuana “a dangerous drug,” Azar and Adams could not say what, if anything, marijuana did to teenagers and pregnant women. Whether or not the current crop of marijuana is more potent with Tetrahydrocannibanol [THC] than past crops does not say exactly what it does to the brains of teenagers and pregnant women.
Under former President Barack Obama and now President Donald Trump marijuana, despite recreational legalization or medical weed laws, the government has done nothing to reclassify the drug from its current status as a Schedule 1 narcotic. Lagging behind the states in approving weed for either medical or recreational use, the Federal government has done little to make marijuana businesses, now totaling $10 billion a year, more viable within the federal banking system. Marijuana businesses, many of which have gone public, still can’t make use of the federal banking system, forcing consumers to pay cash-and-carry. Federal laws, including the Drug Enforcement Agency [DEA], still classify marijuana the same a heroin, morphine and synthetic opioids like Oxycontin an Fentanyl, all dangerous narcotics with high addictive properties, something marijuana lacks.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. states have legalized marijuana for medical uses, with marijuana derivatives without THC, called CBD produtcts, popular pain relievers, without the addictive side effects of prescription painkillers. Adams said that marijuana is harmful to the developing brains of teenagers and the human fetus. Adams could not elaborate on what it ‘s about marijuana that’s dangerous to cognitive development of teenagers or fetal brains. Contending that the THC content has more than doubled over the last 20 years, Adams warns about toxic exposure on the fetal brain. Yet with past critiques of marijuana, there’s no evidence to back up claims that it harms fetal or teenage brain development. “This ain’t your mother’s marijuana,” Adams said, making a point about today’s THC content. It’s also true past generations smoked more quantity to get the same euphoric effect.
Adams claims that today’s science runs counter to cultural trends supporting the cultivation, sale and use to high-THC marijuana. “Marijuana use is a risk to the developing brain,” Adams insisted, without citing the research. “Over time, there has been a change in attitudes about marijuana creating a false sense of security,” again, highlighting alleged risks but citing no reliable studies to back it up. Attitudes have hardened supporting the industry, if for no other reason, because marijuana use should have never resulted in jail-time for its users. Yet past generations have borne the brunt of the failed Drug War, putting drug users in prison instead of offering rehab or re-education regarding marijuana’s risks-and-benefits. One thing’s for sure, there’s plenty of data on the harmful effects of alcohol on the human body, nuclear-and-extended family and society at large.
HHS, DEA and Surgeon General have all warned about the negative effects of marijuana, without commenting about what’s known about alcohol. Federal officials fear an increase in use among young people when there’s zero evidence that there’s more marijuana use than past generations. Recreational marijuana laws impose more age restrictions on the use than current medical marijuana laws allowing anyone, of any age, to get a prescription for using pot. Recreational laws are very specific about restricting marijuana use only to those 21-years-of-age or older. There’s currently no age-restriction when it comes to medical marijuana laws. Adams contends, without offering proof, that marijuana use affects the neurologic development of teenage brains. Whether or not marijuana use causes problems in attention, memory, decision-making and motivation is anyone’s guess.
If HHS, DEA and Surgeon General want to make a strong case against marijuana use they need to cite credible research verifying their allegations. Whether or not today’s marijuana is more potent than past generations, there’s zero evidence that there’s more use than it the past. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics aren’t going to approve marijuana use for teenagers or pregnant women because there’s a dearth of scientific evidence about its effects on teenagers and pregnant women. Telling women to discontinue its use during pregnancy since most physicians recommend laying off the booze once pregnant. “If you have morning sickness, talk to your physician,” said Asst. HHS Secretary Brett Biroir, warning against using weed for nausea. Warnings about marijuana use for teens and pregnant women pale in comparison to using alcohol.
