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CANNABIS MYTH VS FACT: #1-10


1) “Cannabis has no credible medicinal benefits” -- MYTH!

  • That is simply false! The best review of the research to date on medical marijuana, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, looked at more than 10,000 studies to evaluate medical marijuana's potential benefits and harms. The review concluded that there’s “conclusive evidence” for medical marijuana as a treatment for chronic pain, as well as multiple sclerosis spasticity symptoms, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

  • An endless supply of studies and first hand accounts also prove the efficacy of medical marijuana use for a wide variety of illnesses and symptoms, including: chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety, nausea, some cancers, and more.

  • Medical marijuana may still have many further benefits that we don't even realize yet, which is why the majority of doctors favor legalization and further research.

  • The best way to determine whether you may benefit from the prescribed use of cannabis is to consult with your primary care physician.


2) “Cannabis is dangerous” -- MYTH!

  • Medical marijuana, like any other medicine, is not 100% safe, and may not work well for every patient. However, studies clearly prove that medical marijuana is significantly less dangerous than alcohol, tobacco, and many other drugs.

  • Though the average level of THC is higher today than before, since potency does not equal dose, users are able to ingest less of a product with higher levels of THC to achieve the same result. Regardless, this issue can largely be solved by regulating the levels of potency -- just as we do with alcohol.

  • Additionally, opponents of medical marijuana like to cite personal anecdotes and cherry-pick studies, but most of the time their evidence simply confuses correlation with causation.

  • The best way to determine whether you may benefit from the prescribed use of cannabis is to consult with your primary care physician.


3) "Medical dispensaries will automatically become recreational dispensaries" -- MYTH!"

  • In New Jersey, Alternative Treatment Centers (ATC's) DO NOT automatically become recreational dispensaries. Every town/community will have the opportunity to decide whether or not to allow recreational cannabis dispensaries to exist within their jurisdictions (including currently operating ATC's), and will have to change local zoning laws in order to allow recreational cannabis dispensaries (if they choose to do so).


4) “Cannabis is physically addictive” -- MYTH!


5) “Synthetic Cannabis is a safe alternative” -- MYTH!

  • Synthetic marijuana is often poorly regulated and is definitely NOT safe. Please consult a doctor before trying synthetic marijuana!


6) “The problems and costs with legalization outweigh the benefits” -- MYTH!

  • Per usual, opponents of marijuana like to cite personal anecdotes and cherry-pick studies, but most of the time their evidence simply confuses correlation with causation.

  • Moreover they emphasize every small problem with legalization but never address the far more serious problems with the status quo. ​

  • Regardless, two facts remain indisputable: (1) Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol, tobacco, and virtually all other drugs; and (2) The problems cited by opponents of marijuana legalization hold more truth when applied to alcohol, tobacco, and prescription medications (i.e. effects on crime, health, addiction, minors, etc).


7) “Cannabis will cause mayhem on the roads” -- MYTH!


8) “Cannabis will lead to more crime, particularly near dispensaries” -- MYTH!"

  • According to a wealth of research, there is no credible evidence that medical marijuana causes any increase in crime. In fact, quite the opposite!

  • While it is theoretically true that medical dispensaries can be targets for theft (because they often have a lot of cash, just like banks), but this can easily be solved by allowing medical dispensaries to work with banks and credit card processors - just like any other pharmacy.

  • Regardless, Voltaire takes security and regulatory compliance very seriously. We will take every precaution necessary, and we will facilitate an ongoing relationship with the local police department to ensure the safety of our patients and the community at-large.


9) “Cannabis causes cancer” -- MYTH!


10) “Cannabis is a gateway to other, more dangerous drugs” -- MYTH!"



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