Kevin Sabet, PhD, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, wrote about The High Price of Federal Marijuana Legalization for the Wall Street Journal on August 25, 2021. In the letter, he signaled strong objections to Senator Schumer’s Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA).

This week two important letters to the editor of the Wall Street Journal followed. Dr. Eric Voth wrote a letter published in the paper on Aug 31, followed by William Bingham’s letter on Sep. 1.

Dr. Voth’s letter:

What Proponents of Legal Marijuana Forget to Mention

There exists clear medical evidence of the harms of increasing access to weed.

     The letter supporting marijuana legalization from Paul Armentano of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (“Decriminalizing Marijuana Doesn’t Address the Problem.” Aug 27)  completely ignores the medical consequences, suffered throughout the nation, of enhancing access to marijuana.

      There exists clear medical evidence of increased psychiatric difficulties with marijuana use, including violence, psychosis, schizophrenia, manic episodes, worsening depression and suicide.  Traffic fatalities increase with marijuana law liberalization, and now there is clear evidence for increased opiate overdoses linked to enhanced marijuana availability.

     Other medical consequences such as uncontrolled vomiting episodes (Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome) and cardiac complications are becoming recognized, as marijuana becomes far more potent than the ditch-weed of 40-to-50 years ago.  This carnage underpins a huge, well-organized marijuana industry that seeks to profit on the suffering of the public, exactly as we saw with the tobacco industry.

     I hope the federal efforts to legalize marijuana will wake people up to serious consequences of marijuana will wake people up to the serious consequences of marijuana use, and states will start rolling back or, at minimum, tightening marijuana statutes.  

                                                          Eric A. Voth,

The International Academy on the

                                                                          Science and Impact of Cannabis

                                                                                                                                Fairfax, Va.

(Read our description of Dr. Voth’s organization, IASIC)

William Bingham’s letter:

No Hiding from Marijuana After Federal Legalization

       I strongly oppose legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level.  (The “High Price of Federal Marijuana Legalization” by Kevin Sabet, op-ed, Aug. 25)   It should be treated as an opiate, such as codeine, and be made available only by prescription.  Both are mind-altering addictive drugs.

        In California, where cigarette advertising is tightly restricted, I have seen attractive billboards advertising marijuana dispensaries in plain view of underage kids riding in cars.  This creates ab awkward situation, but it is perfectly legal.  And because it is legal, companies face legal difficulties in firing employees who use marijuana on the job or at lunch breaks.  Marijuana use affects job performance because it is mind- altering. 

         If difficulties arise at the state level, a family or business can always move to another state.  If marijuana is legalized at the federal level, there will be no escape. 

                                                                    William B. Bingham, Fountain Valley, Calif.

Let us think before we leap.