Does Cannabis Make People Violent?
Debate Preview: Dr. Peter Grinspoon vs. Alex Berenson
The debate surrounding the existence of legitimate medical uses of marijuana has been swirling for decades, a fight being steadily won by its proponents. This is thanks in large part to a book released in the 1970s called Marihuana Reconsidered. Written by psychiatrist Lester Grinspoon, the book kickstarted efforts to explore the medical benefits of marijuana, arguing that there was very little scientific evidence to back up the prevailing anti-marijuana sentiment at the time.
Nearly fifty years later, Dr. Grinspoon’s son, Peter, will be taking the debate stage at Yale University to rebut the contents of a very different book. Released in early 2019, Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence argues that cannabis legalization will lead to a public health crisis. According to Alex Berenson, the author, this crisis will take the form of increased violent crime and homicide due to cannabis-induced psychosis. The book has ruffled a lot of feathers, gaining nationwide attention and the endorsement of popular press outlets and personalities. I’ll be writing about my own opinion on this book sometime in the near future, but for now, I want to focus on the upcoming debate. These two are big names in this field, and very passionate about their…
