Marijuana moment reports….
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) took a caller’s question during an appearance on C-SPAN last week as part of a segment on the opioid epidemic. While most of his answer focused on disparities in marijuana enforcement around the United States, something that legalization advocates have long focused on, Cummings made one curious aside:
“We know that marijuana has been known to be a gateway drug.”
The congressman’s position isn’t especially common these days, with more and more lawmakers recognizing that responsible cannabis use doesn’t necessarily put individuals at risk of seeking out drugs like heroin.
His position is, if you read on, is a little more nuanced than the sound bite.
But, that said, these sorts of comments aren’t useful in this day and age unless termed in language that lets people know that one gateway drug that’s rarely mentioned in the media is that one that comes in the pretty bottles and cans.
Dope(y) says … time for a level playing field
