I'm doing an expository essay on marijuana, and this publication literally says everything I've been writing about is wrong. I have my sources too! Anyone care to help debunk the debunked myth on myths? https://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/marijuana_myths_facts.pdf
Go to the medical section of the forums and check out Granny Storm Crow's extremely thorough list of medical studies done on the bus of cann. You'll be more than overwhelmed with information
The thing the ONDCP *doesn't* take into account is the unforeseen consequences of keeping marijuana illegal. The harm the prohibition causes far outweighs any benefit that we get from the prohibition - regardless of how harmful or otherwise marijuana itself might be. When marijuana was first made illegal they actually thought that the high prices and constant arrests would eliminate marijuana from the U.S. They were wrong (according to NIDA, 6,000 people a day in the U.S. start using marijuana for the first time). Massive, unrelenting demand combined with zero legal supply fuels an illegal market in cannabis which draws drug dealers into our communities and makes children *less* safe. The $10 billion a year the Mexican drug cartels make from selling marijuana in the U.S. provided them with the ability and incentive to brutally murder more than 40,000 people in just the last five years. No matter what risks marijuana might have, it does NOT have the ability to kill 40,000 people in five years! Keeping marijuana illegal harms far more people than it benefits!
Myth #1: Marijuana is harmless .......................................... 3 This is a myth. Consuming marijuana does have dangers: Myth #2: Marijuana is not addictive ................................... 7 This is a myth. Picking your nose can be addictive. Almost always, marijuana dependence is a symptom of a much larger, underlying condition. This would be much better handled as a mental health issue rather than a criminal justice issue. It is, though, much LESS addictive: Myth #6: Marijuana is not as popular as MDMA (Ecstasy) or other drugs among teens today...................... 13 Definitely a myth. Over 1/2 of our population admits to trying marijuana. Not sure where the hell they came up with this one in the first place. Myth #7: If I buy marijuana, I’m not hurting anyone else......................................................... 14 Unfortunately, a myth, but only because of prohibition. People who purchase marijuana from reputable dispensaries that pay taxes are not hurting anyone. With black market purchases, we can't really ever know how we are hurting.
Asa Hutchinson says that marijuana is a "harmful substance". But it's obviously far *less* harmful than its prohibition and it's obviously far less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, which are LEGAL!!