To Whom It May Concern at the Wall Street Journal:

We write to you to express a concern over a recent ½ page advertisement in the Journal.

To read the pdf version of this article, click here.

False and Inflammatory Claims

The advertisement was paid for by the International Association on Science and Impact of Cannabis and ran in the 13-14.Nov.2021 edition of the Journal. Although there may be latitude for the truthfulness of a paid advertisement, the referenced ½ page paid advertisement contains false and inflammatory claims.

Background of ACS

By way of background, we are also an association of credentialed professionals. The Association of Cannabinoid Specialists (ACS) is a medical society of clinicians from around the world that is focused solely on
the use of cannabis and cannabinoid medications for the benefit of patients.

As clinicians and other professionals that work with medical cannabis and patients, we are committed to ensuring qualified physicians administer sound medical cannabis advice, that patients have access to high-quality, safe cannabis medicines, and that appropriate regulatory oversight is implemented to protect the patient health. You can read more about our mission and work at www.cannaspecialists.org.

Medical Cannabis

For over a century, patients have been denied access to the therapeutic benefits from the cannabinoid medicine and only recently have U.S. state laws allowed medical cannabis to be dispensed to patients. There are currently upwards of 40 states that have enacted medical cannabis programs and within these regulated, intrastate programs, millions of patients are now receiving medical cannabis under the care of physicians.

Hence, the issue we take with the ½ page advertisement of sensationalized and colorful statements concerning cannabis.

Objective Scientific Investigation

ACS supports and demands ongoing rigorous and objective scientific investigation of the therapeutic value as well as the medical risks; however, the advertisement sets forth that the risks of cannabis use outweigh the benefits – which is a position that is simply not supported by the totality of the vast scientific and medical literature. Nor is this a position supported in the report from the National Academy of Science from 2017.

Fearmongering serves no purpose and certainly not as a means to influence medical policy. The real risks of cannabis use must be addressed by sound public health policy, public education, and ongoing care to patients under the care of qualified physicians.

Misleading Headline

We appreciate that advertising dollars are necessary to support the publication. However, due to the size of the advertisement- half of a page, and the misleading headline- ‘Doctors Warn, Cannabis Can Cause
Serious Health Hazards,’ we were compelled to reach out and share the concern.

We welcome the opportunity to provide a balanced conversation concerning the use of medical cannabis or at a minimum, provide greater context and nuance concerning cannabis use.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jordan Tishler, President

Association of Cannabinoid Specialists