On 60 Minutes last Sunday night, I was anxious to watch the segment called, “The Pot Vote” to see what insight I might gain about recreational legalization of the 5 states on the ballot next week, as well as the issues facing Pueblo Colorado, which has the largest recreational grow in the country, and are facing the possibility of shutting down their grows and distribution.
Instead, I was left wanting. This story had too many unanswered questions and seemed to be conveyed for the mere purpose of showing why we shouldn't have recreational grows. Then it got worse, as they continued to a hospital where they interviewed Dr. Simerville, who felt he had the right to anecdotally comment on pregnancy and future developmental issues of babies that were born with THC in their systems but had absolutely no facts or studies to back it up. Has he followed these women and their children around and documented development? No, he’s just spewing a biased opinion while perched in his hospital looking like an authority, on an issue for which he stated, he’s not in favor. Shame on you 60 Minutes for using this Doctor to frighten people and give his own personal skewed view on these issues. Later this same doctor talked about how there was a rise in teen usage. He continued on how teens “could” face developmental problems because of their developing brains. Funny, because later on in this same segment, the Governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper, said that there was no rise in teen usage in Colorado.
Gov. Hickenlooper was the only sane part of this segment. He is in favor of data and wants as much data as possible, so we can learn more about effects so we can educate people. I am totally on board with that type of thinking. This industry is moving very rapidly and frankly, we don’t know enough, but I am insulted that 60 Minutes wants me to eat their conjecture and no facts reporting.
To further this completely misguided segment, they then brought out Marilyn Huestis who is the former chief of chemistry and drug metabolism at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, who stated that THC is stored in the fatty tissues of our bodies and that the brain has a lot of fatty tissue. That was it, she gave no more information. Ms. Huestis never said if there were any cognitive effects for stored THC or any other data. Again, I was left wanting. This was a mountain of random information, taken out of context, for us to draw baseless conclusions.
Look, I don’t condone teen use, and I don’t have enough information about smoking during pregnancy to draw a conclusion, but I also can’t abide by this type of reporting. I’m sorry but this entire segment was pure propaganda.
I think we should all take a time out from 60 Minutes.
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