Re “Reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug might only be the first step for Trump” (April 24): Though it’s now obvious that the past criminalization of marijuana was misguided, I wonder why our elected officials seem to be encouraging its usage — an example being cannabis social equity and economic development programs. Why is the default position that marijuana use is safe?
In fact, the safety of marijuana is a topic that’s been poorly studied. Recently published evidence suggests that marijuana use is contributing to the increasing incidence of breast and testicular cancers in those under 40. The expectation is that the risks of marijuana will be increasingly studied in the coming years, helped by the recent regulatory changes by the federal government lifting many restrictions on its use.
I caution our elected representatives, however, against taking measures to encourage marijuana use until more data is available regarding the risks.
— Jonathan Polikoff, Del Mar