Since its origins in America, cannabis has been used as a political pawn.
As the New York Times recently reported, former President Richard Nixon admitted that cannabis was “not particularly dangerous.” This was two years after Nixon had launched America’s now-infamous “War on Drugs,” which included categorizing marijuana with other addictive drugs. That terrible decision, despite Nixon’s knowledge that cannabis was not dangerous, led to the arrests of millions of Black and brown people and created false narratives about cannabis repeated by political leaders to this day.
We’re seeing these falsehoods repeated in Sacramento.
Opinion
A few weeks ago, the city introduced the idea of issuing permits for 20 additional dispensaries. On top of that, council members have continued conversations about allowing cannabis lounges in the city. If lounges are approved, it would mean sanctioned facilities serving people who consume cannabis products on-site.
The pilot program would allow for two permits. Type 1 would allow for a dispensary to have a lounge that sells cannabis-infused products such as cocktails and food only. Type 2 would allow for the smoking of cannabis in the lounge.
Cannabis fear-mongering
City Councilman Eric Guerra shared his cannabis fears at a city meeting last week in a long-winded rant.
“My preference would be to not move forward with consumption lounges and if this council decides to move forward, it should only move forward with Type 1. Because I don’t buy the argument that just because you don’t have a place to smoke or use or consume we should make it okay,” he said in conclusion.
Guerra then punctuated his point with a bizarre false equivalency.
“Would it be okay if we said hey let’s have fentanyl lounges? It’s the same issue.”
No councilman, they are not.
Guerra has a right to his opinion and to express the concerns of his constituents. He has been an advocate against secondhand smoke and I respect his point of view, but comparing cannabis to fentanyl is dangerous fear-mongering.
I asked Guerra to elaborate on his comments and he told me he feels that he has a duty to protect the public.
“My focus has been explicit on the public health side of secondhand smoke,” Guerra said. “The government should not normalize the use of substances that are known to cause harm. We should not be normalizing the use of anything that is known to cause harm.”
Fair enough but weed and fentanyl should never be in the same discussion.
I asked the Sacramento County’s Coroner’s Office for the number of weed-related deaths from 2023 to now and they did not find a single one. Ya know why? Because weed does not kill you. But fentanyl does and there are clear numbers that show that.
Also from the Coroner’s office, Sacramento County reported 400 fentanyl-related deaths in 2023, which is actually up from 33 in 2019. So clearly, by data, we can see that weed is not the danger but fentanyl.
For Guerra to compare a drug that is the cause of hundreds of deaths per year to a drug that doesn’t, is the same old playbook that demonized cannabis generations ago.
What I find most discouraging is that Guerra acknowledges that his district has the most dispensaries of all the districts in Sacramento, yet he is attempting to hinder their ability to expand their businesses. You will be hard-pressed to find an industry that is as restricted.
The issues that have been brought up to the council seem elementary. Understanding secondhand smoke is important, but we live in this place called America, where we have the freedom to partake in whatever legal activity we want. If people want to enjoy cannabis, legal in California, in a controlled environment, then they should be allowed. Cigar bars in Sacramento and elsewhere operate by the same principle. Tobacco, like cannabis, is legal in California. People smoke at cigar bars knowing the risks of tobacco consumption.
We should be mindful of everyone’s point of view but the City Council should be able to make a reasoned decision on cannabis.
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The cannabis movement needs a leader
The tale of cannabis has been filled with misinformation. This plant has been demonized and so have the people who used it We’ve seen the imprisonment of countless Black and brown people for selling the same product that has enriched white weed “entrepreneurs.”
The possibility of a better future for cannabis and the Americans who consume it relies on people who are willing to stand up and educate others about its positive impact.
Outgoing Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela has been a clear proponent of cannabis policy discussions. With her departure, someone on the city council needs to take the lead on this issue. Come Dec. 10 the council will have new members and therefore the future of this push will be unsettled unless someone steps up.
Caity Maple is an obvious candidate, given her experience as a lobbyist for the cannabis industry.
Most importantly, before the cannabis lounge pilot program goes in front of the entire council for a vote, it would be wise for leaders to study the facts and remain objective about a subject that affects everyone in the city.
Fentanyl has no place in a reasoned discussion about the city’s management of its cannabis industry.
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