Addressing Cannabis Safety Issues Is A Strength, Not A Weakness, For The Legalization Movement (Op-Ed)

Posted by on September 09, 2026

Cannabis safety concerns are increasingly shaping the debate over the future of cannabis policy. In a new Marijuana Moment op-ed, ASA Founder and Executive Director Steph Sherer argues that the cannabis community should not avoid these concerns or allow opponents to define them. By responding with evidence, stronger standards, better education, responsible innovation, and practical solutions, we can strengthen public trust and protect the future of medical cannabis access.

"For much of the modern cannabis movement, raising concerns about safety has been politically complicated. Advocates have spent decades fighting exaggerated claims about cannabis harms, and opponents have been eager to turn every adverse event, regulatory failure or unanswered scientific question into an argument for prohibition.

That history created an understandable reflex: When someone raises a cannabis safety concern, defend cannabis. It also helps explain why cannabis policy debates often center on two opposing narratives. One side presents cannabis as uniquely dangerous and promotes prohibition or restriction as the answer. The other minimizes legitimate concerns out of fear of giving opponents ammunition...."