MYTH #1: “Cannabis is a gateway drug.”

FACT: Decades of research show no causal link. Most people who use cannabis do not go on to use harder drugs. In fact, states with medical cannabis laws have seen lower rates of opioid abuse and overdose. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports a 25% reduction in opioid overdose deaths in states with medical cannabis

MYTH #2: “There’s not enough research.”

FACT: Over 30,000 studies exist on cannabis. The U.S. government even holds a federal patent on cannabinoids for their antioxidant and neuroprotective properties (Patent #6630507).

MYTH #3: “Cannabis makes people lazy and unmotivated.”

FACT: Most medical cannabis patients are working West Virginians who use it to manage chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, and neurological disorders, so they can keep showing up for life, work, and family.

MYTH #4: “Legalizing cannabis will increase crime.”

FACT: States with legal cannabis have not seen increases in violent crime. In fact, local economies improve, illegal markets shrink, and law enforcement can focus on serious crimes.

MYTH #5: “There’s already access in WV - we don’t need more.”

FACT: West Virginia’s current law is one of the most limited in the nation: no smokable flower, no edibles, only 10 qualifying conditions, most counties have no dispensary at all Access without affordability or availability is not real access.

Bottom Line: This isn’t about politics, it’s about patients. About veterans, coal workers, caregivers, parents. West Virginians deserve medical freedom, economic opportunity, and policies grounded in truth.