When marijuana legalization first started gaining momentum in the United States, it was heralded as a progressive step toward criminal justice reform, economic growth and public health benefits all at once. Advocates promised that legal cannabis would eliminate the illicit market, generate tax revenue and ensure a safe, well-regulated industry.
That is not how things have turned out.
Across the country, from New York to California, signs of disillusionment are emerging. Illegal dispensaries continue to thrive, crime linked to the cannabis trade is rising, and critics argue that the public was misled about the risks of high-potency pot that has flooded the legal market.
A growing number of experts, politicians, and even former supporters of legalization are questioning whether the rollout of legal weed was too rushed—and if the U.S. states that went forward with legalization plainly got it wrong.
Kevin Sabet, the president of the nonprofit Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), has been an outspoken critic of the current commercialization model. “Today’s marijuana is strengthened by very high-potency growing methods that have resulted in record levels of psychosis, schizophrenia, suicide, IQ loss, and other issues,” Sabet said.
“I think people are finally realizing what the harms of this substance are.”