Contrary to common perception, what we know about cannabis far exceeds what we don’t.
Scientists’ focus on cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years, as has our understanding of the plant, its active constituents, their mechanisms of action, and their effects on the user and upon society.
In recent years, researchers have published tens of thousands of scientific papers about cannabis and its constituents, according to a keyword search on the National Library of Medicine website.
In addition, most U.S. states have real-world experience with regulating cannabis for either medical or adult-use purposes dating back several decades — providing us with empirical data on its short-term and long-term effects.
Various countries around the world, including Canada and Israel, also regulate cannabis for these purposes — and have successfully done so for many years.
It is time for politicians and others to stop assessing cannabis through the lens of “what we don’t know” and instead start engaging in evidence-based discussions about marijuana and marijuana reform policies that are indicative of all that we do know.
A version of this op-ed originally appeared in The Frederick News-Post.
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