Source: Bill Tompkins / Getty
Marijuana is still a controversial talking point for some, despite current trends pointing to decriminalization and flat-out legalization. Despite the devil’s lettuce reported uses on a medical level and mounting evidence of the benefits of cannabis, some on Twitter are criticizing the social media service for slapping a substance abuse help hotline atop a trending topic about the plant.
Marijuana began trending Tuesday morning in the wake of Sen. Chuck Schumer’s tweets regarding actions he and other Democrats are taking, and it has been reported earlier this month that the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the MORE Act on Sept. 21. The bill, which will most likely not pass in the Republican Party-led U.S. Senate, will aim to decriminalize and deschedule marijuana. Sen. Schumer spoke to that reality in a series of Monday tweets.
The battle for marijuana legalization has been raging for years with patient advocates and activists pointing to the plant’s myriad benefits and the potential for revenue for states who go wide and allow recreational use. This fall, a handful of states are voting on legalization efforts in a bid to join 33 other states, with 11 of those states fully recreational which allows anyone to purchase cannabis and not just medical users.
The states that have measures on their local ballots that would greatly shift the tide on legal cannabis are Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana, Mississippi. Nebraska was potentially set to vote on a medical marijuana measure but that effort failed to go forward.
Despite alcohol causing more of a public health concern than marijuana according to most policy and medical experts, Twitter saw fit to affix the addiction message and hotline as the lead message on the trending topic, which several users have angrily pointed out for its assumed hypocrisy. We’ve got those reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
Reefer Madness: Twitter Criticized Over Addiction Warning Atop Marijuana Trending Topic was originally published on hiphopwired.com
1.
Shame on Twitter for having this at the top of the "marijuana" search and not the "alcohol" search pic.twitter.com/m5B8t5xHYV
— Becca (@beccaleeeeeee) September 15, 2020
Facts, though.
2.
The fuck is this, Twitter? Marijuana is trending, I click it and I see this disclaimer thing? For weed??? In MY 2020???? No thanks, grandma pic.twitter.com/QpAnEQDQd6
— cat profile pic rando (@reread4lyfe) September 15, 2020
3.
Why when Marijuana is trending there is a warning for substance abuse, but never anything for the much more dangerous widely abused alcohol on @twitter ? pic.twitter.com/jcJSpRUuJV
— Christine Kramar (@ChristineKramar) September 15, 2020
4.
Marijuana NEVER should have been illegal.
— Doc Zombie 2021💥 King of I Told You So💥 (@xxdr_zombiexx) September 15, 2020
Marijuana Prohibition did not solve 1 problem, did not save 1 life, did not accomplish 1 positive pro-social thing.
It warped the Constitution and gave us the Robocops.
Relegalization is DECADES OVERDUE!
A lot of big facts here.
5.
Coming soon:
— ChiefinWahoo (@ChiefinWahoo) September 15, 2020
Kendall's Premium 120 Marijuana Cigarettes pic.twitter.com/LzqzTZZTTg
6.
There are no good reasons to support decriminalization of marijuana over full blown legalization
— Nina Turner is a Dr. Cornel West Democrat 🥋 (@SocialistMMA) September 15, 2020
Doing so is shady imo
7.
Looks like #IRS is on point: #marijuana is trending today.
— Kelly Phillips Erb (@taxgirl) September 15, 2020
IRS Sweetens The Pot With New Marijuana Industry Web Page via @forbes https://t.co/Kci9M7N0ac #tax
8.
Twitter swear marijuana the most dangerous shit in the world you need to be worried bout them drunk mfs😂😂 pic.twitter.com/fbaKVKXMLv
— M👑 (@younginmari1) September 15, 2020
9.
Figured it’s a good time to post this after seeing Twitter’s stupid PSA for marijuana abuse trending. pic.twitter.com/LpKfmmJuF5
— Internet Police Officer (@InternetCop911) September 15, 2020
10.
11.
Twitter really taking the threat of *checks notes* Marijuana more seriously than the rise of fascism in america. C’mon @jack your platform is used to amplify stochastic terrorism stop being complacent. pic.twitter.com/pO1AMpO2r9
— Matt Deitsch (@MattxRed) September 15, 2020
12.
13.
I saw marijuana trending thinking they passed a new law making it legal across the board . I was wrong . It brought me to this 😒 pic.twitter.com/zTNx2ZAAfZ
— 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 🇭🇹 (@TheGoodLife_32) September 15, 2020
14.
This man's name is Sean Worsley. He's a disabled veteran who served in Iraq, and he's facing five years in prison for possessing marijuana that a doctor prescribed to him. #SeanWorsley pic.twitter.com/L2tPmltX9w
— Spike Cohen (@RealSpikeCohen) September 14, 2020
15.
The time has come to LEGALIZE marijuana and release everyone serving a prison sentence for a harmless plant. https://t.co/h7wI6V9gxC
— Spike Cohen (@RealSpikeCohen) September 14, 2020
