Trump Says That Marijuana that Has Been “Genetically Engineered” Might Be Causing Mass Shootings.
Donald Trump, a former president, has said there might be a connection between using marijuana that has been genetically modified and mass shootings.
On Friday, during a speech at a National Rifle Association (NRA) leadership meeting, Trump cited a number of contentious and speculative variables that he said he would want the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to look into as potential causes of the ongoing national crisis of mass shootings.
We need to investigate whether commonly prescribed psychiatric medications, genetically modified marijuana, and other opioids are resulting in psychotic breaks that result in gun violence, he said.
Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024, declared that he would order the FDA to form an outside, independent panel to look into his theory and determine whether the problem is connected to transgender hormone treatments and ideology, which he claimed increases the risk of extreme depression, aggression, and even violence.
In front of a supportive audience, Donald Trump attempted to deflect the responsibility for mass shootings from the firearms industry by asserting that there is no gun problem.
He claimed that this is a mental health issue. It is a social issue. It’s a cultural issue. It’s a spiritual issue.
The former president hasn’t previously talked about his belief that there might be a causal connection between cannabis use and violence. He was recently indicted by a grand jury and arrested in New York on dozens of felony charges related to alleged hush money payments to a porn star during his 2020 campaign.
However, after announcing his bid for president in 2024, he has adopted a tough stance on drug policy.
He talked about fighting the cartels and working with Congress to pass legislation that would give drug dealers who are behind murder, mayhem, and other crimes the death sentence.
Trump’s administration took a number of hostile anti-marijuana actions, from rescinding Obama-era guidance on cannabis prosecutions to implementing laws that bar immigrants from citizenship if they use marijuana or work in the cannabis industry. Trump did not pursue a full-scale crackdown on state-legal cannabis programs, but he did voice tentative support for modest reform legislation.
Read More: Where Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson Stands On Marijuana?
Supporters of President Joe Biden relentlessly attacked him over his record as the architect of punishing drug laws over his decades in the Senate in an effort to portray Trump as the candidate for criminal justice reform during his unsuccessful 2020 reelection bid.
His Friday remarks at the NRA event offer a very different picture of the candidate and suggest that his attitude about marijuana has changed to one that is conspiratorial in nature, reiterating ideas put forth by author Alex Berenson.
For what it’s worth, multiple studies have found a link between the legalization of cannabis and a decline in domestic violence.
What Trump meant by “genetically engineered marijuana” is not entirely apparent. He might be emphasizing his worries about cannabis products with a high THC content.
It remains to be seen if he would stick to his anti-marijuana stance. But even if Republicans are less likely than Democrats and Independents to support legalizing marijuana, the topic is becoming more and more bipartisan. Additionally, his decision to associate with the contentious group is likely to upset supporters who had hoped he would spearhead efforts to remove cannabis prohibition.
Several federal court lawsuits regarding the federal law prohibiting cannabis users from purchasing and having firearms are still pending. Federal judges who were selected by Trump have said the ban is unlawful.
