Throughout the 20th century, tobacco was sold to Americans as a good habit that was socially acceptable. Glamorous tobacco advertising was very effective in hooking children on the addiction. It took decades for the perception of this legal product to change to a socially unacceptable and dirty habit.
Instead of tobacco, we now have the increasing social acceptance of marijuana with advertising and candies marketed to the youth. Marijuana is only illegal in twelve states. Both presidential nominees have stated that they want to loosen the federal laws against marijuana.
What is the upside of legal marijuana? None. The axiom “legalize it and tax it” so government has more income fails because as more people use the harmful legal marijuana, then government spends more on social services to needy people. More people addicted to marijuana means fewer people who are employable. Employers who are not in the cannabis industry do not want to hire people who use marijuana.
In 2018, before Missouri legalized “medical marijuana,” there were only seven marijuana-related poison control calls for children aged 5 or under. Then, the poison control calls spiked. Sales of legal recreational marijuana began in February 2023. Calls to poison control for children under five years old have increased 2300% since the marijuana laws have loosened in Missouri. This trend is expected to continue as more Missourians use and misuse marijuana. Now the state is trying to crack down on the selling of cannabis candy, which is packaged to look just like Skittles and gummies. No child can read the fine print that this candy is only for adults.
As more states legalize and commercialize marijuana, Big Marijuana will continue to profit by making more edible products that appeal to children. States must ban the child-appealing marijuana products and require THC-containing products to be sold in child-proof packaging.
It may take many decades for people to realize the harms of marijuana and to make marijuana use as socially unacceptable as tobacco.