It is sometimes ridiculous and unbelievable, the stuff that gets published. Unfortunately, there is not enough accountability for blatant and potentially dangerous misinformation.
There is a site called: A Foundation for a Drug-Free World that ranks on the first page of Google for the term “marijuana,” and gets roughly 1,000,000 visitors a month. Meaning, almost 1,000,000 people a month is subject to misinformation. The tagline is: “Find out the truth about drugs.”
Want an example of of potentially dangerous misinformation? Look know further than the section titled: Alcohol vs. Marijuana. This is what the site states after claiming: ‘Here are the facts.’
- Alcohol consists of one substance only: ethanol
- THC damages the immune system. Alcohol does not
We can forgive them for the first statement. Maybe they didn’t do their research, or even just a quick Google search to find out that alcohol also contains a chemical known as Carbon Dioxide. Many people already take some immune-supporting and boosting medication to handle the damage alcohol causes, be it from Quantum Health or other providers. It is a fairly common thing that many do, and is usually known about by those who have experienced the damage.
But, to state that THC damages the immune system, alcohol does not? That is dangerous misinformation. This is the type of thing that should be illegal and they should be held responsible. Again, a quick Google search will find plenty of resources that dispute this, including this government site that states that ‘drinking too much alcohol weakens the immune system.’
