fter years of doubling down on the legalization of marijuana and minimizing its harms, The New York Times has finally broken the seal of truth by admitting that marijuana is far more harmful than most people want to acknowledge. The article, titled “It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem,” marks a dramatic reversal and walks back years of misleading claims.
This shift is significant because, in the past, The New York Times compared restrictions on marijuana to the era of alcohol prohibition and portrayed cannabis as benign, even medicinal. It denied the risk of addiction, as many speculated that legalization would not significantly increase use. The Times was highly influential in shaping public opinion and policy, contributing to the widespread legalization of marijuana across 24 states for recreational use and 40 states for medical use. This week, it quietly began to reverse course.
Despite the Times’ previous assertions, data from the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics shows a 65.2 percent increase in marijuana use between 2015 and 2024, with 34.8 percent of high school seniors saying they had experimented with the drug. Alongside increased use, we are seeing serious side effects, including addiction, lung disorders, attention-span problems, memory and cognitive impairment, suicidality, and psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia. Now that the fruits of marijuana legalization are clearly visible, The New York Times is suddenly retreating from its earlier enthusiasm.
