This week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick seized the spotlight with a press event ostensibly focused on the dangers of THC—complete with candy-laced visuals and sweeping statements warning of paranoia, schizophrenia, and severe health issues. But this display raised an important question: What about the mental health effects of opioids—drugs that have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives? Let’s break down the facts and challenge the narrative.
1. Cannabis & Schizophrenia: Risk vs. Reality
Yes, research links frequent cannabis use—especially high-potency THC and early onset—to an elevated risk of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals:
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Men 16–49 with cannabis use disorder account for around 15% of schizophrenia cases; up to 30% in the 21–30 age group wsj.comen.wikipedia.org+6nih.gov+6cambridge.org+6.
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Daily THC use may more than double the risk of schizophrenia .
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A 2019 meta-analysis found one-third of cannabis-induced psychosis cases later developed schizophrenia news-medical.net+15en.wikipedia.org+15pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+15.
But here’s the real context:
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Cannabis doesn’t cause schizophrenia alone—it interacts with genetics, age, frequency, and potency time.com+2psychcentral.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2.
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Even so, 98% of regular users do not develop schizophrenia en.wikipedia.org+6en.wikipedia.org+6axios.com+6.
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Transient psychosis from cannabis usually subsides once it wears off .
➡️ In short: Responsible adult use is low-risk unless other vulnerabilities exist.
2. Opioids: A True Mental Health Crisis
Meanwhile, opioids present a far more dangerous mental health picture:
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Over 100,000 overdose deaths per year across the US—largely from prescription opioids, illicit fentanyl, and heroin.
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High rates of addiction, depression, anxiety, and suicide are well-established in opioid users.
So if Patrick’s concern is mental health, why is the war against the one product with an overdose death rate somewhere between zero and near zero continuing?
3. Responsible Use vs. Blanket Bans
We all agree cannabis isn’t harmless. But so far, data tells us:
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Responsible adult use poses minimal risk for serious mental illness.
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Most studies identify elevated risk only among those using daily, high-potency cannabis, especially during adolescence or with genetic susceptibility en.wikipedia.org+3canada.ca+3psychcentral.com+3.
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Meanwhile, cannabis remains a safer alternative to opioids in many cases—no overdose deaths, less addiction, and fewer side effects.
Banning hemp-based THC entirely erases choice, pushes people back to prescription opiates, or worse, drives them to black-market alternatives—all without meaningful oversight.
4. What’s Really at Stake
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8,000+ small businesses wiped out, 53,000+ jobs lost
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Everyday people criminalized for using federally legal wellness products
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A thriving regulated market handed over to the black market
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Support for veterans, chronic pain sufferers, anxious parents — torn away
We’ve come so far in bringing accountability, transparency, and education to this industry. This bill ignores that in favor of fear—and that’s not what Texas needs.
5. What You Can Do
These choices shouldn’t be removed by fear-mongering:
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Download and submit your Veto SB 3 form
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Contact Gov. Abbott:
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Email: greg.abbott@gov.texas.gov
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Call: 512‑463‑2000
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Reach out to me for help or for submitting on your behalf:
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happyhippyhaus@outlook.com
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936‑244‑0626
We’re not saying cannabis is perfect. But we are saying: let’s approach this with facts, context, and care—not fear. Let’s choose responsibility over prohibition. And if there's a real concern for mental health, let’s address that—together—without tearing down an entire industry in the process.