Ann Coulter Attempts to Link Legalized Cannabis with Violent Murder
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]H[/dropcap]ardline Political Commentator Ann Coulter wrote in a recent Breitbart article that cannabis consumers are not “peaceful stoners” and are more likely to commit murder and other violent acts.
While citing the anti-cannabis book by Alex Berensen, Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence—which has been debunked—Coulter explored how cannabis supposedly makes psychotic patients who consume cannabis “four times as likely to be violent.”
Coulter cited a scalping incident—in which a screenwriter Blake Leibel scalped and killed his girlfriend, and blamed cannabis, as he was known to be a consumer. She also cited a grisly murder case in England involving murderer Dean Lowe, again attempting to link violent behavior to cannabis. Several more “depraved murders” were mentioned, and you guessed it, all murderers who were mentioned consumed cannabis at one point or another.
Coulter “So where are all the marijuana-induced murders?” Coulter asked. “As Berenson says, they’re hiding in plain sight. But until you’re told about the cannabis-psychosis link, you don’t even notice. Crime reporters don’t want to look uncool by asking about the perp’s marijuana use, and, inasmuch as being high isn’t a legal defense, neither prosecutors nor defense lawyers have an incentive to request that suspects be tested for pot.”
The crowning case mentioned in the article was the homicide of five people committed by Dakota Theriot. While Theriot suffered from acute schizophrenia, Coulter concluded that cannabis was to blame.
Breitbart has published many other controversial articles in the past with inflammatory titles such as “Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy.” Taking an “uncool” position on cannabis fits in line with its rhetoric.
The commentator’s hatred of cannabis dates back several years. Two years ago, Coulter said that cannabis makes “people retarded.” Her new article follows the same path. As any scientist knows, correlation does not imply causation. Just because a murderer consumed cannabis at some point, does not indicate there is any causation between cannabis and violent behavior. It’s a paper thin argument that can be debunked very easily.
