“Marijuana is riskier than most people think.”

Most Americans don't see marijuana as particularly dangerous. A September 2026 Rasmussen poll found a majority call it "not very" or "not at all" dangerous. As legal sales expand, a repeal initiative (Question 8) is on the ballot in Massachusetts this November, and the federal government has moved medical marijuana to a less restrictive category. Doctors and addiction specialists say the public may be underestimating real risks like dependence, effects on memory and motivation, and impairment, especially for teens and with today's stronger products. Supporters of legalization say those risks are manageable, no worse than other legal substances, and best handled through regulation and education, not fear.

Dr. Alta DeRoo (chief medical officer, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, says the risks are underrated): "Moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III doesn't help me save lives by decreasing the perception of that risk." Addiction specialists like her say regular use can wear down motivation, memory, and daily functioning, even when it doesn't look dramatic. Paul Armentano (deputy director, NORML, says the risks are overstated): argues that blanket limits on potency "oversimplify" the risks and ignore how people actually buy. He points out that in legal states, flower still outsells other products because it's "the most moderate to low potency product available on the shelf." Dr. Smita Das (addiction psychiatrist, Stanford University School of Medicine, says it depends on regulation): "If there's no standardized testing of products, or if there's no enforcement of potency limits, then we might be putting people at more risk." In her view the danger depends heavily on how products are made, tested, and sold.