Exposing the Media’s Cannabis Lies: The Real Facts They Won’t Tell You

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Here we go again, the same tired story from the media: fear-mongering, sensationalized bullshit about cannabis. Every time a new study or article drops, it’s all about emergency room visits, psychosis, and vomiting. They want you to panic, but here’s the kicker—they’re full of it. The data paints a totally different picture, but that doesn’t stop these outlets from spewing outdated garbage designed to keep the stigma alive. Enough already. Let’s cut through the bullshit and get to the real facts.

Teen Use: The Reality Post-Legalization

One of the biggest lies they love to push is that teen cannabis use skyrockets after legalization. Well, guess what? It’s just not true. Study after study shows that this isn’t happening. In fact, a major study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed over 1.4 million high school students and found no significant rise in teen marijuana use after states legalized it. Even better, in places like Washington and Colorado, teen use has dropped—and that’s right after legalization. In Washington, the number of 10th graders using weed dropped from 20% in 2012 to 7.2% by 2021. And Colorado? Similar story. Down to 13.3% from 22% among high schoolers. These are the cold, hard facts, but you won’t see them plastered across headlines because they don’t fit the media’s narrative.

Emergency Room Visits: The Overblown Scare Tactic

Then there’s the favorite talking point—ER visits. Yes, some people freak out and end up in the hospital after getting too high, but let’s get real about how often that happens. The media loves to spin these stories like it’s an epidemic. In reality, cannabis-related ER visits are rare compared to the thousands of deaths alcohol racks up every year. Over 88,000 people die annually from alcohol-related causes. Cannabis? Practically zero. So when a stoner who took one too many edibles lands in the ER with paranoia or nausea, it makes headlines. Meanwhile, alcohol poisoning and DUIs don’t even raise an eyebrow. Why? Because fear sells.

The fact is, for every cannabis-related ER visit, millions of other users are perfectly fine. The media cherry-picks outliers to keep the fear machine going, ignoring the millions of responsible cannabis consumers who never see the inside of a hospital.

The Real Problem: Lack of Education

The conversation shouldn’t be about stoking fear—it should be about education. With legalization spreading, what we need is straightforward public health messaging about safe use. Cannabis isn’t going anywhere, so let’s stop pretending it’s some apocalyptic drug and start teaching people how to use it responsibly. Countries like Canada are already ahead of the game, pairing legalization with education campaigns that actually inform the public about dosing, potency, and interactions with other substances. That’s what we should be doing instead of cranking out scare pieces every other week.

Less Fear, More Facts

Enough with the scare tactics and misleading headlines. Legalization hasn’t led to a massive spike in teen drug use, nor has it created a public health crisis. What it has done is reduce criminal justice burdens, bring economic growth, and offer a safer alternative to substances like alcohol and opioids. It’s time for more responsible journalism that reflects the real story of cannabis in America, instead of constantly peddling the same old fear-driven garbage.

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