‘Marijuana Moms’ take on prosecutor ‘Dad’ in controversy over mental health effects of cannabis

A clash between the Marijuana Moms and a Dad for Mental Health is highlighting an escalating controversy over the effects of cannabis. The moms are a group of lawmakers who helped write the law that legalized pot in Illinois, and the dad is McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally. Each side has referenced those self-given nicknames, somewhat facetiously, in their attacks against each other on the issue. McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally, shown at an unrelated event in 2019, recently required licensed marijuana retail stores in McHenry County to post warnings about mental health dangers associated with cannabis use. The feud arose recently after Kenneally required licensed marijuana retail stores in McHenry County to post warnings about the mental health dangers associated with cannabis use including psychosis, depression and thoughts of suicide. The lawmakers, who are Democrats, say Kenneally, a Republican, is posting disinformation about a highly complex subject. More broadly, the dispute illustrates widespread concerns and uncertainty over the mental health effects of cannabis. The stores are also required to eliminate from their marketing and websites any suggestion that their products have medical benefits. The requirements were part of a settlement with prosecutors to avoid a consumer fraud lawsuit. Dispensaries that don’t go along with the program will face litigation, Kenneally warned. As a prime example of the dangers of cannabis, Kenneally cited the case of William Bishop, who after vaping oil with a high concentration of THC, the part of pot that gets users high, believed Howard Stern on the radio told him to veer into oncoming traffic, which Bishop did, Kenneally said. He killed a father of two and permanently disabled another man. His defense in court, supported by psychiatrists, was that he was suffering from cannabis-induced psychosis. He was found guilty but mentally ill, and sentenced to 31 years in prison. Other similar cases are pending. In an opinion piece in the Tribune, Kenneally criticized what he called the “pseudoscience” claims of medical benefits for a wide variety of conditions, and wrote that there is no credible evidence that cannabis treats any medical condition. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two components of cannabis — synthetic THC to treat nausea and anorexia from cancer or AIDS, and CBD to treat seizures — while many countries have approved a THC/CBD mix to treat muscle tightness in multiple sclerosis. In Illinois, despite the limited FDA approval, some 138,000 patients have been authorized by doctors to take cannabis for dozens of conditions. The most common diagnoses were chronic pain, making up almost one-third of cases, followed by post-traumatic stress disorder, migraines and osteoarthritis. The Marijuana Moms — state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, former state Sen. Toi Hutchinson and former state Sen. Heather Steans — wrote an open letter to rebut Kenneally. They compared him to Harry Anslinger, the former Federal Bureau of Narcotics commissioner who vilified marijuana in the 1930s for allegedly causing violence, immoral behavior and “satanic” jazz music. Kenneally, the moms wrote, is “using hyperbole to vilify cannabis use” for all sorts of complex societal issues, including violent crime, addiction and mental illness. They point out that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently recommended reclassifying cannabis from its current Schedule I, which signifies no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, to Schedule III. That change would acknowledge legitimate medical use of cannabis and a moderate to low potential for dependence, but would require a prescription for legal use. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration is reviewing the reclassification recommendation. The moms note that the state already requires dispensaries to post this warning: “Cannabis is only for registered medical patients or adults 21 and over; cannabis can impair cognition and may be habit forming; cannabis should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women; this particular cannabis product causes intoxication, the effects of which may be delayed for up to 2 hours.” The moms say patients regularly tell them of how cannabis has helped restore quality of life for late-stage cancer patients and end debilitating seizures. Taxes from legalization generate about half a billion dollars annually to support improvements in poor and marginalized neighborhoods, mental health and substance abuse clinics, and law enforcement. “We stand willing to work with anyone from anywhere in our great state to address consumer safety, public safety, public health, and child development,” the moms wrote. “We will not, however, stand idly and allow others to point myopically to cannabis to nonsensically explain away highly complex, multifaceted societal problems.” In response, Kenneally questioned the “soft corruption” of the industry, noting more than $600,000 in campaign donations to lawmakers from the cannabis industry. Cassidy’s spouse, Candace Gingrich, previously was hired by the cannabis company Revolution Florida, and Hutchinson was hired as CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project, which helped write the Illinois legalization law. Cassidy and Revolution, an affiliate of Revolution Cannabis, based in Chicago, previously denied any impropriety, saying Gingrich worked only outside of Illinois. The Marijuana Policy Project stated that the Illinois Office of Executive Inspector General determined that Hutchinson was not restricted from working for the advocacy group. The prosecutor dad also fired back with a list of 53 studies linking cannabis with increased risk of suicide and mental health problems including schizophrenia and other psychoses. The argument between the moms and the prosecutor shares some similarities with a controversy that’s raged in Colorado, one of the first states to legalize recreational use in 2012. Since then, studies have raised increasing concerns over the effects of high-THC products, prompting lawmakers to limit sales of high-THC products. This year, after a study ordered by state lawmakers, the Colorado School of Public Health recommended caution in using high-THC products, finding potential adverse effects and limited benefit. In Illinois, lawmakers and prosecutors are not the only ones looking into these issues. The state’s Adult Use Cannabis Health Advisory Committee this year noted the potential benefits of cannabis for chemotherapy, insomnia and pain. But it raised concerns about the findings of a Dutch study that found a strong association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia. State officials also have been looking into a public education campaign and resealable childproof containers to prevent rising cases of child intoxication. And the state’s Cannabis Research Institute has plans to break ground next year on a facility to study the health and social equity effects of cannabis. rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com