Anti-Marijuana Argument Stirs Anger in New Jersey

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, head of the presidential commission on opioids, warned of the dangers of marijuana in a letter to President Donald Trump. Earlier this month about the panel's findings, saying the current push for marijuana legalization could further fuel the opioid epidemic. "There is a lack of sophisticated outcome data on dose, potency, and abuse potential for marijuana.
Ben Carson, the former Republican presidential hopeful and now Cabinet secretary, added to the argument during the final commission meeting, speaking nostalgically of the Reagan-era "This is your brain on drugs" ad campaign and its infamous fried egg imagery.
"It frequently starts with something as seemingly innocent as marijuana," said Carson, the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, who was among several officials to speak at the meeting.
But some experts say the commission's fixation on marijuana was bizarre and troubling, lending credence to outdated views of marijuana as a gateway drug. And these experts want to nip such thinking in the bud.