Why Does Our Government Continue to Ignore the Facts? National Institute of Drug Abuse Denies Marijuana is Less Toxic Than Alcohol

On Monday, the National Institute of Drug Abuse released a statement denying that marijuana is less toxic than alcohol. They apparently ignored the science and the facts so they could continue their decades-long anti-marijuana crusade that began in the 1930s.

Initially, it was the steel, oil and timber companies that decided it was in their best interests to demonize hemp and marijuana after Popular Science magazine called hemp the nation's "New Billion Dollar Crop." Today, it's the drug companies who fear the loss of their profits, and with lawmakers' hands in the pockets of big pharma, they'll do whatever they can to prove their point in spite of harming the public they are meant to serve and an obvious blatant disregard of the facts.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse said in their statement, "Claiming that marijuana is less toxic than alcohol cannot be substantiated since each possess their own unique set of risks and consequences for a given individual."

Of course, anyone who has experience with both substances knows this is blatantly untrue, but even PolitiFact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking service, researched the claim by the government agency and concluded:

• Deaths or even trips to the hospital are much more likely due to alcohol.
• Scientists could not find any documented deaths from smoking marijuana.
• A study found the safety ratio for marijuana (the number of doses to cause death) is much greater than compared to alcohol. They determined marijuana is 100 times less toxic than alcohol.

PolitiFact also noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics reported 41,682 alcohol-related deaths in 2010 – but zero reports listing marijuana as the cause of death.
The government doesn't exactly have a reputation for being honest, but their claim is such a bold faced lie it's rather disturbing.

Director of communications at the Marijuana Policy Project, Mason Tvert, called the NIDA claim "a new low," and this time they've "gone off the deep end," adding, "NIDA's statement that marijuana can be just as toxic as alcohol would be on par with the FDA announcing sushi is as fattening as fried chicken."

Recently, hydroponic suppliers have discussed how the industry can benefit the economy as well as assist in the alcoholism epidemic which has resulted in countless deaths over the decades, unlike marijuana. Some garden supply stores and other hydroponic suppliers have noted customers coming in who have used medicinal marijuana to quit drinking, which is the kind of news that puts the hydroponic business in a whole new light.