Medical marijuana just got a major new ally in the bruising election battle: pop music icon Justin Bieber.
Just in time to help swing pitched election fights for medical marijuana in Florida, and other states, Bieber called out prescription drug companies battling cannabis legalization Sunday, tweeting “This is important. … We all need to pay attention” and linking to a video summary of the issue.
In a video entitled “Big Pharma is literally paying to block medical marijuana.” the media group “attn:” recaps the hot news trend. Most recently, the makers of the drug that killed singer Prince donated $500,000 to defeat adult use cannabis legalization in Arizona. The drug company, Insys, makers of Fentanyl, has said in financial statements that legal cannabis threaten their plans to profit from generic marijuana in pill form.
In an SEC filing, she noted, Insys stated that “legalization of marijuana or non-synthetic cannabinoids in the United States could significantly limit the commercial success of our Dronabinol products … and our ability to generate revenue, and our business prospects, would be materially adversely affected.”
Numerous studies confirm cannabis can treat chronic pain, putting it in potential competition with opioid drug makers as well as others. States with medical marijuana laws have about 25 percent less opioid overdoses and less prescription drug use in general, new reports show. Cannabis is a schedule 1 drug deemed to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse.
“I’m going to be talking more about this,” Bieber tweeted.
Insys should worry. America is in the grips of a prescription drugmaker backlash fueled by price gouging and an overdose epidemic. Bieber has 88.6 million Twitter followers, and holds the Guinness Record for most followers on Twitter by a male, the most viewed music channel on YouTube by an individual, and the most subscribers on YouTube for a musician by a male.
The Canadian teen pop turned R&B and EDM icon also has the most streamed track and album on Spotify in one week, the most simultaneous singles on the United States chart, and he’s the first act to take all three top positions on the United Kingdom singles chart.
Bieber also knows his way around alcohol, cannabis, as well as prescription drugs, according to police reports.
His advocacy is sorely needed. Cannabis legalization is on the ropes in Arizona, where GOP super-donor Sheldon Adelson backed a $2 million opposition campaign. Medical legalization in Florida also faces a multi-million advertising assault. Currently all nine medical or adult-use campaigns are underfunded.
Meanwhile, in Bieber’s home country of Canada, a national medical marijuana program delivers to patients, and the current government is rolling out adult-use regulations.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Justin Bieber Calls Out Prescription Drugmakers Opposing Marijuana
Author: David Downs
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