There has been a huge stormy cloud of stigma that has surrounded medical marijuana for decades now. This stigma has been the root of so much of the controversy surrounding medical marijuana legalization and simply marijuana in general. It is what started the “war on drugs” which resulted in the incarceration of more people in the criminal “justice” system than ever before in American history.
There is so much tension in our society today due to the gap between those who agree that marijuana should be legalized, either recreationally or medically, and those who don’t. This is one of the many fights that cannabis advocates easily draw up the sword to combat. At Ohio Marijuana Card, we do too!
The stigma surrounding marijuana consumption has created a fog around marijuana education. This fog is dense and it is hard to see through so most people give up trying to find their way through it so they settle on easily digestible theories that are outdated and ultimately, just not true.
The stigma cloud is so dense that it almost blurs out marijuana discussions altogether in society. This leaves many medical marijuana patients feeling isolated, having to hide that marijuana helps them from even close family and friends. It also inhibits those that are potential patients so far from the truth that they are afraid to consider medical marijuana as being an option for their health and wellness goals.
But what are the actual facts? Can the decades of long standing stigma be dismantled? Will patients ever feel the freedom of being able to choose which treatment is best for their medical condition and also the security to be open about it?
Here at Ohio Marijuana Card, we fight every day to make this possible, not only for our patients but for people all over the state! We believe that relief is not a privilege but a right that everyone deserves access to, especially those that are battling qualifying medical conditions. We are here to bridge the gap and break the stigma!
Debunked Myth #1: “Marijuana is a gateway drug.”
We have all heard this one before as it is probably one of the most widely used tall tales about marijuana.
I’m sure you have either heard this in your “D.A.R.E.” class back in your old middle school days or maybe you were even the one to tell your kids to arm themselves for the real world by “saying no to drugs.” Either way, this has been a long standing myth that has been one major player for the marijuana stigma side and has burrowed itself deep into societal thoughts on marijuana.
Marijuana is actually not a gateway drug at all! There is no evidence that once you start using marijuana, you then start using other illegal drugs.
This myth was spread in order to gain support for the “war on drugs” which has scheduled marijuana a Schedule I drug. Unfortunately, this category is reserved for highly addictive drugs with no medical value which we know is not true for marijuana. Marijuana was scheduled falsely back in the 1970’s and people have been fighting to get it rescheduled ever since.
This false scheduling added to the myth that marijuana is a gateway drug. The idea behind this was that Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous therefore those who struggle with addictions and use one of these drugs will more than likely use another Schedule I drug. Unfortunately, this concept was applied to marijuana.
Actually, marijuana has been shown to do the exact opposite! Marijuana can help those with drug addictions wean off of them and provide a track for a fast and safer recovery time. This has been seen in treatment centers for opioid addiction all over the nation!
Debunked Myth #2: “Marijuana is addictive.”
Saying firmly that marijuana is straight up addictive ignores the nuances of addiction and is way too general of a statement.
On one hand, there can be very real, very diagnosable addictions to many different things. A person can be addicted to alcohol, painkillers, sugar, or gambling and these are just some of the major addictions that you hear about. There are many more rare addictions that are less known, in fact there is an entire TV-show about it!
Just like with anything else, of course marijuana can be misused, over consumed and an emotional dependency can be created. But in this sense, marijuana is not any more likely “addictive” than anything else in life.
There is a major aspect to marijuana that sets it apart from other drugs, it is not lethal. Anyone who has a loved one struggling with a real drug addiction knows that the scariest part is the idea of losing them. With marijuana, there are no overdoses. While there have been a few suspected isolated cases, the deaths were not very clear and could have been linked to pre-existing medical conditions. Other deaths that have been linked to marijuana are not a direct link either; they usually have other contributing factors such as driving under the influence.
Saying marijuana is addictive is just another way to brush off marijuana’s medicinal, healing values and scare people away from using it!
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
Here at Ohio Marijuana Card, our goal is to help everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at (866) 457-5559, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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