WHILE WELCOMING 2023, I’M VERY CONCERNED

The truth is the common base from which all else is built

As a retired physician with more than 40 years of medical practice experiences and insights, I’m very concerned seeing ominous clouds of a perfect storm gathering right in front of our eyes, in form of massive advertising by gambling companies to bet on sporting events, and the legalization of marijuana sales for recreational use by many states, while it remains illegal by the federal government.

I’m much concerned that an epidemic of millions of gamblers and psychedelic drug addicted people running around high on drugs, acting goofy with reduced sense of responsibility, and causing fatal traffic accidents should not be far away.

I’m hesitant but I must state that we have not learned our historical lessons from the previous epidemics that we faced. Root causes of previous epidemics remain unchanged and are still hard at work:

1 – The financial and political power of mega corporations to increase and make utmost profits, by any means possible, regardless of humans suffering and loss of lives remains the same. Opioid addiction epidemics is a good example of it.

2 -Silence and lies of unscrupulous politicians on social and moral issues to get more financial contribution and votes for their reelection campaign continues as before.

3 -Wait and see attitudes by the federal and local governments to see the rate of employment and increased tax revenues from the sales of cannabis for recreational purposes, before intervening to regulate.

4 -Limitless marketing and advertisements campaigns, without any concern for the truth, the scientific evidence, and consequences of their actions, by mega corporations and big pharma to brainwash people and to overwhelm existing laws, rules, and regulation by federal and state governments.

I believe that for the above reasons, and irresponsible marketing and advertising campaigns with misinformation and lies besides brainwashing creates a moral degradation and moral values in society, and make people believe that the truth is no longer matters.

As I see it, the federal government’s 1970 law of The Controlled Substances Act which regulates pleasurable and risky substances by classifying and controlling their sales is outdated and needs to be rewritten and updated. Class 1, the most restrictive class, bans the sale and possession of certain drugs and limits their use for medical research only. These drugs include heroin, LSD, marijuana, and most other psychedelics.

The remaining four schedules put various restrictions on medications. But some of the permissible drugs and substances, like alcohol and tobacco, are more addictive and dangerous than street drugs.

Research suggests that 25 percent of people who use heroin becomes addicted to it, marijuana addiction rate is about 10 percent, and LSD addiction rate is 1 percent. Research data on long term recreational use of marijuana effects, so far, are limited.

IASIC (The International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis) warns that cannabis use can cause serious health problems including:

~ Psychosis,

~ Increased suicide attempts,

~ Aberrant behaviors, increased ER visits,

~ Increased fatal traffic accidents, when driving high on marijuana,

~ Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome,

~ Increased rate of respiratory and cardiac illnesses,

~ Increase rate of testicular cancers.

So, it is apparent that the entire controlled drugs and substances law, rules and regulations have to be updated at federal and state government levels and, most importantly the truth in marketing and advertisements have to be required and enforced.