C-Force: Sobering Thoughts on an Alcohol Alternative

An August Gallup poll reveals that nearly half of Americans now view alcohol consumption as bad for health. Notes Jamie Ducharme in a Time magazine report, "drinking, at least in moderation, was once seen as a harmless -- or even healthy -- indulgence that could strengthen your heart and even lengthen your lifespan. But in many scientific circles, consuming virtually any amount of alcohol is now seen as toxic." My, how the tide has turned.

The poll also reveals that alcohol consumption among younger generations, which has been in decline for years now, has continued to drop. According to a recent report by the independent news site The Conversation, "starting in the US in the late 1990s, and spreading to several other wealthy countries in the early 2000s, young people began to drink less than previous generations, or avoid drinking alcohol altogether. ... Recent research shows that drinking has become less routine and expected for young people, while not drinking has become more socially acceptable."

If alcohol is in decline as a "social lubricant" - a that food, beverage, drug or activity that stimulates social interactions or helps people feel more comfortable in social occasions -- what is taking its place?

CNN's Sandee LaMotte writes in a May report that "the use of weed to replace alcohol is a growing trend in the United States. In fact, a recent study found -- for the first time ever -- the daily use of cannabis of any kind among Americans surpassed the daily use of alcohol."

According to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, "nearly 18 million people age 12 and older reported using marijuana daily or near daily in 2022, compared with about 15 million who said they used alcohol with the same frequency," LaMotte writes.

While the downside of alcohol use continues to fill the headlines, the harms posed by marijuana should be equally worrisome, especially when considering young people. "By using cannabis before the age of 25, young people can permanently damage their brains, wreaking havoc with their ability to learn, remember, solve problems and pay attention, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," LaMotte writes.

According to a February 2024 study, she continues, "daily marijuana use raises the risk of stroke by 42% and heart attack by 25%, even if there is no prior history of heart disease."

"Recent research shows the use of cannabis has grown significantly around the world. ... Much of this growth has been spurred on by recent moves to legalize the use of cannabis in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Thailand, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Uruguay," reports Medical News Today's Corrie Pelc.

"Since medical cannabis was first legalized in Colorado in 1996, nearly half the country has legalized marijuana for recreational use," according to a CBS News report. "Even more states have decriminalized weed or allowed marijuana to be used for medical purposes. ... As of April 2024, recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states or nearly half the country, according to the Pew Research Center."

Recreational weed, though illegal at the federal level, is legal in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, as well as Washington, D.C.

"When states began legalizing marijuana for recreational use in 2012, they set off a 'green rush' of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and other investors pouring money into cannabis brands, dispensaries, cultivators and technologies," according to an extensive report authored by three New York Times investigative reporters. Today, marijuana has been transformed into a "$32 billion industry."

If you think, as I do, that federal oversight of the ultraprocessed foods industry is sorely lacking, the situation regarding marijuana seems to be much worse.

"More than a decade after states began legalizing recreational marijuana, businesses are enticing customers with unproven health claims, while largely escaping rigorous oversight," reports the Times. "A New York Times review of 20 of the largest brands found that most were selling products with such claims, potentially violating federal and state regulations. And as companies compete, potency has gone up -- with some products advertised as having as much as 99 percent THC (the main active ingredient of cannabis) -- and prices have gone down."

"When companies make unproven health claims about their products, it can put consumers at risk," says Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, a professor at the University of Southern California who researches cannabis health policy. "And consumers who are exposed to more potent cannabis are more likely to experience serious health effects." In addition, because state regulations differ so widely, there is "insurmountable confusion," says Shawn Hauser, when it comes to enacting effective regulations.

As the marijuana industry has changed, so have its products. "More growers embraced breeding techniques to increase the potency of the marijuana smoked in joints, blunts and bongs, pushing the THC levels to as much as 30 percent. (The typical level a generation ago was less than 5 percent.) Cannabis vapes, infused pre-rolled joints and high-intensity THC beverages now line dispensary shelves," notes the Times. "And many businesses sell concentrates, some promoting nearly 100 percent THC, in the form of waxes, liquids and crystalline 'diamonds' -- products that have gone from niche to mainstream."

"The industry has been very effective at transmitting this idea of cannabis as a safe, natural wellness product," says Dr. Lynn Silver, a pediatrician and senior adviser at the Public Health Institute. "There's little awareness of just how much the product has actually changed, of how industrialized and increasingly hazardous it's become."

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Follow Chuck Norris through his official social media sites, on Twitter @chucknorris and Facebook's "Official Chuck Norris Page." He blogs at http://chucknorrisnews.blogspot.com. To find out more about Chuck Norris and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.