The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is teaming up with an anti-marijuana organization to mark “National Prevention Week,” promoting a campaign that encourages people to share memes with dubious claims about the effects of cannabis—including the theory that it is a “gateway drug” to using other substances.
Some memes are based on reports or studies which have been proven to be false by others. The DEA promoted meme claimed that marijuana use was associated with a 50% decrease in sperm counts.
Johnny’s Ambassadors is the group that coordinates “Just Say Know.” It was created by parents who claimed their children died from suicide because they consumed high-potency cannabis concentrates. The federal agency has posted the memes in two of their taxpayer-funded sites and sent out email blasts to advertise them.
Certain lawmakers and anticannabi advocates are concerned about the potency of cannabis. But the claims being published in meme format by DEA’s JustThinkTwice.gov and GetSmartAboutDrugs.gov sites are fairly sensationalized, or at least disputed by conflicting research.
For example, DEA cited a study alleging that the top contributor of future opioid use is consuming marijuana before the age of 18—an assertion that aligns with the gateway drug theory that’s been challenged based on other scientific analyses.
Some memes claim “50 woodstock joints = 1 marijuana dab,” attribute the use of cannabis during youth with a “STRONGLY HIGH” probability of experiencing “psychotic” symptoms as an adult, and connect marijuana with increased risks of schizophrenia and depression.
“Failing in school? Another DEA meme says: “Stop using THC.”
Via DEA
These claims are not accepted by advocates of legalization.
Paul Armentano told MEDCAN24, “At worst, these memes are misinformation and propaganda.” These memes can be misinformation or propaganda.
The message is unlikely to be taken serious by the audience that these groups target, he added. This is unfortunate, because marijuana, as well as other mood-altering drugs, are not without risk.
The DEA has a long history of politicizing cannabis and its consumers. This is why they are no longer credible in the eyes of the public. Public knows that these aren’t honest brokers. So audiences—whether they’re consumers or not—largely reject what they have to say, with good reason.”
Johnny’s Advocates and DEA jointly promoted the “Anti-420 Day”, a campaign in which students were asked to submit short videos warning others about marijuana usage.
Students would be asked to explain “why youth shouldn’t use THC” in short videos.
The DEA is known for the awkward messages and materials it uses to educate youths about drug abuse.
For example, in 2023, DEA advised young people that, rather than doing drugs, they should focus on becoming Instagram influencers. It shared tips for getting a “natural” high as an alternative drug. These included becoming popular on Instagram, watching video games, and visiting pet stores to see animals.
DEA is also known for its attempts to decode emojis that it claims are used to buy drugs.
DEA, in addition to its outreach to youths to prevent drug use, is also actively evaluating a proposal that would move cannabis to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This process was delayed due to legal challenges from witnesses who participated in the administrative hearings for finalizing the proposed rule.
Recent President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the DEA has committed to rescheduling cannabis, or said how he would approach federal enforcement of states which have legalized marijuana.
Terrance Cole, nominee for DEA Administrator, largely avoided discussing marijuana-related policy questions in written replies to questions posed by two Democratic senators during his confirmation hearing. This included a pending Biden administration proposal that would move cannabis from schedule I to schedule III.
Cole has previously voiced concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linked its use to higher suicide risk among youth.
While he gave noncommittal answers when asked about rescheduling in the written questions, Cole said during an in-person hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month that examining the rescheduling proposal will be “one of my first priorities” if he’s confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move forward” on the stalled process—but again without clarifying what end result he would like to see.
Trump initially chose Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister to lead DEA, but the prospective nominee—who strongly advocated for marijuana decriminalization—withdrew from consideration in January amid scrutiny from conservative lawmakers over the sheriff’s record on COVID-related public safety enforcement actions.
As far as the marijuana rescheduling process is concerned, DEA recently notified an agency judge that the proceedings are still on hold—with no future actions currently scheduled as the matter sits before the acting administrator, Derek Maltz, who has called cannabis a “gateway drug” and linked its use to psychosis.
Meanwhile, although shutting down licensed marijuana dispensaries doesn’t “rise to the top” of his priorities, an interim U.S. attorney who recently warned a Washington, D.C. cannabis shop about potential federal law violations says his “instinct is that it shouldn’t be in the community.” The interim U.S. attorney has since changed his mind for reasons unrelated to the marijuana dispensary.
Separately, last month, an activist who received a pardon for a marijuana-related conviction during Trump’s first term paid a visit to the White House, discussing future clemency options with the recently appointed “pardon czar.”
A marijuana industry-backed political action committee (PAC) has also released a series of ads over recent weeks that have attacked Biden’s cannabis policy record as well as the nation of Canada, promoting sometimes misleading claims about the last administration while making the case that Trump can deliver on reform.
Its latest ad accused former President Joe Biden and his DEA of waging a “deep state war” against medical cannabis patients—but without mentioning that the former president himself initiated the rescheduling process that marijuana companies want to see completed under Trump.
Trump’s DEA pick Refuses to Detail Marijuana Schedule Rescheduling In Response To Questions From Senators
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