Godfrey Pearlson

I'd say I'm down the middle. I grew up in the 60s, so I was... exposed both to the drug and the propaganda from both sides about it. And I'm a naturally skeptical person. So if something has a good side and a bad side, I'm not going to try and minimize one or exaggerate the other.

You're correct. A plurality of the U.S. adult population now supports legalizing recreational cannabis. More people, in fact, support same-sex marriage. So that's been quite a journey from Nixon in the 70s to the present. And I'd attribute that to a few reasons. One is that people have used it and tried it and found that it had few ill effects.

You're correct. A plurality of the U.S. adult population now supports legalizing recreational cannabis. More people, in fact, support same-sex marriage. So that's been quite a journey from Nixon in the 70s to the present. And I'd attribute that to a few reasons. One is that people have used it and tried it and found that it had few ill effects.

You're correct. A plurality of the U.S. adult population now supports legalizing recreational cannabis. More people, in fact, support same-sex marriage. So that's been quite a journey from Nixon in the 70s to the present. And I'd attribute that to a few reasons. One is that people have used it and tried it and found that it had few ill effects.

A second thing is that the anti-cannabis movement and Just Say No and DARE and similar initiatives so overstated the case against cannabis and demonized it to such an extent that it was clear that much of what they were saying was incorrect. So people became skeptical of the marijuana is bad message.

A second thing is that the anti-cannabis movement and Just Say No and DARE and similar initiatives so overstated the case against cannabis and demonized it to such an extent that it was clear that much of what they were saying was incorrect. So people became skeptical of the marijuana is bad message.

A second thing is that the anti-cannabis movement and Just Say No and DARE and similar initiatives so overstated the case against cannabis and demonized it to such an extent that it was clear that much of what they were saying was incorrect. So people became skeptical of the marijuana is bad message.

The other thing is adequacy, first of all, on the part of users, but secondly, on on the part of business in terms of companies that want to make a profit from selling cannabis, what people call cannabis or big cannabis analogous to big tobacco. And the other is states in the U.S. that want to have a sin tax and balance their budgets by selling cannabis in dispensaries that they can tax.

The other thing is adequacy, first of all, on the part of users, but secondly, on on the part of business in terms of companies that want to make a profit from selling cannabis, what people call cannabis or big cannabis analogous to big tobacco. And the other is states in the U.S. that want to have a sin tax and balance their budgets by selling cannabis in dispensaries that they can tax.

The other thing is adequacy, first of all, on the part of users, but secondly, on on the part of business in terms of companies that want to make a profit from selling cannabis, what people call cannabis or big cannabis analogous to big tobacco. And the other is states in the U.S. that want to have a sin tax and balance their budgets by selling cannabis in dispensaries that they can tax.

So I think it's a combination of all of those things.

So I think it's a combination of all of those things.

So I think it's a combination of all of those things.

Well, some are clearly known and others are suspected, but unclear because not enough research has been done. But the real risks are cannabis use disorder. Basically, people become addicted to the drug and suffer moderately severe withdrawal symptoms when they quit. So they find it difficult to quit. For teens, the main risk is psychosis.

Well, some are clearly known and others are suspected, but unclear because not enough research has been done. But the real risks are cannabis use disorder. Basically, people become addicted to the drug and suffer moderately severe withdrawal symptoms when they quit. So they find it difficult to quit. For teens, the main risk is psychosis.

Well, some are clearly known and others are suspected, but unclear because not enough research has been done. But the real risks are cannabis use disorder. Basically, people become addicted to the drug and suffer moderately severe withdrawal symptoms when they quit. So they find it difficult to quit. For teens, the main risk is psychosis.

So teenage individuals who smoke high potency cannabis that contains a lot of THC and smoke it often have an increased risk for developing schizophrenia and allied psychotic illnesses. And it's not exactly clear what the magnitude of that risk is, but may raise the odds to maybe three or four times what you'd expect in the population. Then there are risks from motor vehicle accidents and drivers.

So teenage individuals who smoke high potency cannabis that contains a lot of THC and smoke it often have an increased risk for developing schizophrenia and allied psychotic illnesses. And it's not exactly clear what the magnitude of that risk is, but may raise the odds to maybe three or four times what you'd expect in the population. Then there are risks from motor vehicle accidents and drivers.

So teenage individuals who smoke high potency cannabis that contains a lot of THC and smoke it often have an increased risk for developing schizophrenia and allied psychotic illnesses. And it's not exactly clear what the magnitude of that risk is, but may raise the odds to maybe three or four times what you'd expect in the population. Then there are risks from motor vehicle accidents and drivers.

Again, compared to alcohol, those risks are not huge, but they're significant. And probably in older people, there are risks of falls just because cannabis does lead to gait instability. then there are suggestions that it may raise the risk for heart attack and stroke in older individuals and possibly raise the risk for certain kinds of cancers.