Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at a chatbot’s comments on cannabis, a study of the relationship between legalization and opioid abuse, cannabis delivery scams and more. Enjoy.
A Chatbot Weighs in on Legalization
Much has been made recently about the proliferation of chatbots and the impact such technology will soon have on various aspects of everyday life.
According to the folks at IBM, a chatbot is a computer program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to understand customer questions and provide automated responses to those questions in a way that simulates a human conversation.
One chatbot in particular, ChatGPT, has garnered a great deal of attention recently because of its ability to respond to complex questions as well as produce lengthy essays, prepare legal briefs, write computer code and more—much more.
For example, according to a report in the New York Post, ChatGPT “took” an MBA exam at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and scored higher than many humans did on the same test. It’s also said to do an excellent job of copyediting.
Recently, Tom Hymes, writing for Cannabis Business Executive, posed a series of cannabis-related questions to ChatGPT. The result is a fascinating interaction between man and machine on the topic of cannabis.
What follows is a small segment of that interaction that focused on the topic of the federal legalization of cannabis. Mr. Hymes started by asking if there was a compelling argument for legalization and the chatbot responded.
(TH) Is there a compelling argument for the federal legalization of cannabis?
(CB) There are a variety of arguments that have been put forward in support of the federal legalization of cannabis. Some of the main arguments include:
Medical benefits: Supporters of legalization argue that cannabis has significant medical benefits, particularly for treating chronic pain, nausea, and other symptoms associated with certain medical conditions. Legalizing cannabis would allow doctors to prescribe it as a treatment option and make it more accessible to patients.
Economic benefits: Legalizing cannabis would create jobs and generate tax revenue. By regulated and taxing the sales, it would reduce the size of black market and increase the safety and control of cannabis products.
Criminal justice benefits: Supporters of legalization argue that current cannabis laws have a disproportionate impact on communities of color and that legalization would reduce the number of arrests and incarceration for cannabis-related offenses, saving the government money and reducing the negative impact on the lives of those convicted.
Personal freedom: Proponents of legalization argue that adults should be able to make the choice of whether to use cannabis without fear of criminal penalties.
States’ rights: Some advocates argue that the federal government should respect states’ rights to legalize cannabis as they see fit and that it would respect the will of the voters in states where cannabis has been legalized.
It’s worth noting that there are also arguments against the federal legalization of cannabis, such as the potential for increased use and abuse, especially among youth, or the negative impact on public health, safety, and the environment.
Ultimately, whether or not cannabis should be legalized is a …
(TH) Are you thinking?
(CB) As an AI, I don’t have the ability to think or have emotions like a human being does. I am a machine learning model that processes and interprets information based on the instructions and data that it has been trained on. The answer I provided to your previous question is based on the information that I have been trained on and is not influenced by any subjective or personal opinions.
(TH) I only asked because the previous answer was incomplete.
(CB) I apologize for the incomplete answer. In summary, the argument for the federal legalization of cannabis is complex and multifaceted, and there are both supporters and opponents of legalization with valid points on both sides. Some argue that legalization would have numerous benefits such as providing medical access, generating economic growth and increasing personal freedom, while others argue that it would have negative consequences such as increasing youth use, and risks to public health, safety and environment. It’s a matter of ongoing political debate, and different states have different approach and laws regarding cannabis, it’s important to stay informed about the laws and regulations in your state.
(TH) Thank you
(CB) You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help. If you have any more questions or anything else you would like to know, feel free to ask.
This excerpt provides just a taste of a much longer interaction. To learn more, we urge you to read the entire article by Tom Hymes that appeared in the January 11, 2023 issue of CannabisBusiness Executive.com. Mr. Hymes, the publication’s Senior Editor, is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor with over 20 years’ experience covering highly regulated industries.
www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com/2023/01/a-cannabis-chat-with-chatgpt/
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“I’d like cannabis to be legal everywhere. I knew people who were in jail for years over a couple of joints, and it’s just not right. I feel a responsibility to stick up for people who have been jailed for it unfairly, and that is why I’m partnering with NORML to lend my name and talents to help end our multi-decade failure that is prohibition. Bottom line is: It should be legal and people shouldn’t be going to jail for it, and I want to reinforce that to the degree that I can.”
—David Crosby
The late Mr. Crosby— a well-known musician and cannabis advocate—made this statement upon joining the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in 2018.
Said NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri on Mr. Crosby’s recent passing, “David Crosby was a genuine American original and an outspoken advocate for ending our nation’s failed war on cannabis consumers. We were ecstatic to have him join NORML’s Advisory Board in 2018 and have him lend his platform and voice to the ongoing fight for cannabis freedom after a lifetime of personal advocacy.”
Mr. Crosby’s comments and the statement from Mr. Altieri are taken from the organization’s blog. To learn more about NORML, simply click on the link that follows.
norml.org/blog/2023/01/19/norml-remembers-david-crosby/
Cannabis and Opioid Abuse
A new study offers further evidence that suggests there’s a relationship between the legalization of cannabis and a decrease in the abuse of opioids—codeine-based pharmaceuticals in particular. Part of what makes this study stand out is that it used data from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, researchers at Cornell University, George Mason University, the University of Georgia and the University of Pittsburgh looked at data on prescription opioid shipments in 11 states that legalized cannabis for adult use between 2010-2019, comparing them to opioid shipments in states where cannabis was still prohibited.
Jaeger noted that the research team found what they described as a link between recreational legalization and a “26 percent reduction in retail pharmacy-based codeine distribution.”
To be clear, the same trend was not observed for other opioids such as hydrocodone and morphine, or shipments to hospitals where there tend to be more stringent prescribing policies.
Still, Jaeger points out that the researchers contend that the “finding is suggestive that [recreational legalization] may help achieve reductions in opioid misuse, as codeine is a lower-potency opioid with high potential for misuse.”
The research team also noted in the study, which appeared in the journal Health Economics, “Collectively, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that reductions in opioid demand affected by [recreational cannabis laws], unlike [medical cannabis laws], may be evidence of decreased opioid misuse more than decreased use of prescription opioids to manage chronic pain.”
In his article, Jaeger underscored the fact that what makes the study unique is that the study’s “primary data source” was the DEA’s Automation of Reports and Consolidation Orders System (ARCOS), which monitors the flow of DEA controlled substances from their point of manufacture through commercial distribution channels to point of sale or distribution at the dispensing/retail level – hospitals, retail pharmacies, practitioners, mid-level practitioners, and teaching institutions.
To learn more, we suggest reading Kyle Jaeger’s article in the January 24, 2023 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Scam Alert
Scams have popped up in Southern New England involving bogus cannabis delivery services. According to Emily Volz, reporting for NBC affiliate WJAR, the local Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that scammers are creating fake websites and charging phony fees via cash apps when consumers attempt to purchase cannabis online with the expectation that they will receive home delivery.
The BBB says consumers who have fallen victim to the scam have been shelling out hundreds of dollars for products that never arrive.
Said Paula Fleming, chief marketing & sales officer at the Better Business Bureau, “Now that it [cannabis] is being legalized throughout the different states here in New England, scammers are keen at targeting consumer (sic) with potential scams. The ones that we’re hearing via our BBB.org/scamtracker have been identified as scammers that are asking for payment through digital wallet apps such as Zelle or Cash App.”
Both Connecticut and Rhode Island are relatively new cannabis markets so it should come as no surprise that scams such as these should appear in locations where consumers are less experienced when it comes to purchasing cannabis.
Fleming also advised consumers to do their research before using a delivery service and when possible, go to a dispensary to make their purchases in person.
To learn more, you can visit the report from Emily Volz that was posted on WJAR’s website on January 24th 2023.
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
