One of NORML’s primary missions is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults. One of the ways we successfully achieve this goal is by debunking marijuana myths and half-truths via the publication of timely op-eds in online and print media. Since the mainstream media seldom casts a critical eye toward many of the more over-the-top claims about cannabis, we take it upon ourselves to set the record straight.
The majority of NORML’s rebuttals are penned by Deputy Director Paul Armentano. In the past few weeks, he has published numerous op-eds rebuking a litany of popular, but altogether specious claims about the cannabis plant – including the contentions that cannabis consumption is linked to heart attacks, psychosis, violence, and a rise in emergency room visits and traffic fatalities, among other allegations.
Below are links to a sampling of his recent columns.:
Major ‘drugged driving’ report’s findings prove overblown
Attorney General Jeff Sessions thinks legalizing pot increases violent crime – he’s wrong
Pot, heart attacks, and the media hype cycle
The five biggest lies about pot – and how to rebut them
Trump administration’s dubious claims about pot and opioids are dead wrong
Debunking the latest viral pot paranoid theory
Three new scientific studies that debunk conventional marijuana myths
You’d be crazy to believe the ‘reefer madness’ study
For a broader sampling of NORML-centric columns and media hits, please visit NORML’s ‘In the Media’ archive here.
If you see the importance of NORML’s educational and media outreach efforts, please feel free to show your support by making a contribution here.
