Is the New York Times Getting Cannabis Wrong? | TDR Cannabis in 5

<p>NORML is pushing back hard against the New York Times, accusing one of the country&#39;s most influential newspapers of presenting a one-sided picture of cannabis in America. In this episode of TDR Cannabis in 5, host Shadd Dales breaks down an op-ed from NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, published through Cultivated, challenging recent Times coverage on rising THC potency and cannabis use disorder.Armentano doesn&#39;t deny potency has increased, but points out concerns about stronger cannabis go back to Times reporting from 1978, and that consumers naturally titrate, adjusting how much they consume based on strength. On cannabis use disorder, SAMHSA data shows roughly 19.3 million Americans met the criteria in 2025, up from 16.7 million in 2021, but Armentano argues the diagnostic criteria itself, things like tolerance and withdrawal, can capture regular medical patients the same way it would capture someone with a genuine problem, without the same nuance applied to prescribed substances like opioids.The episode also covers the teen use question, where despite mixed state-level research, national data from Monitoring the Future shows past-year marijuana use among 12th graders sitting at just 26%, the lowest level recorded in roughly three decades. Armentano&#39;s broader argument isn&#39;t that cannabis is harmless, it&#39;s about proportionality, and whether media coverage applies the same scrutiny to cannabis that it does to alcohol and other legal substances. As federal cannabis policy edges closer to real change, how major outlets frame these stories increasingly shapes the public debate.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/tdrcannabisin5">#TDRCannabisIn5</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/norml">#NORML</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/newyorktimes">#NewYorkTimes</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cannabispolicy">#CannabisPolicy</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/paularmentano">#PaulArmentano</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cannabisusedisorder">#CannabisUseDisorder</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/thcpotency">#THCPotency</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cannabisnews">#CannabisNews</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cannabisreform">#CannabisReform</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/mediabias">#MediaBias</a>Want to see more Cannabis Reform?🎬 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipYwrYlp_2U">   • Democrat Calls for Full Cannabis Legalizat...  </a>🎬 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvuUnZm6DEc">   • Trump Grants Clemency to Two Cannabis Offe...  </a>🎬 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYH1DLSebOk">   • McConnell vs. Paul: Hemp’s Kentucky Divide...  </a>🎬 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ5ga-6wpCo">   • Trump Signs Bill Delaying Hemp THC Ban | T...  </a>Want to stay updated on Cannabis, Small Cap, AI, and Crypto?Subscribe to our Daily Baked newsletter:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rUmxiSGJGbDZlYllwR0kwcC0tZV84aXxBTl9pYzRmNXJBRmpHeDUwbHN0SzdDTW9xWWxnb2tlU2FXLWVDdXFHMjZDZ3c3c3U2M1lZUENQT2c3U25FeEs0YV9JWFFBN1Jrcy11UERxOTdxZFB0SzhzZUVhRWN0cTQ2M0xx&q=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter.thedalesreport.com%2Fsubscribe&v=H261NyA24Qg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://newsletter.thedalesreport.com...</a>Find us on social media and podcast platforms:✅ Facebook: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rVExrWGs3d2NNZHJ1S3lXVlpMdUxpWnxBTl9pYzRkd0d3aDJDaGhlRkV2UnhVYlJubWdEQ09CVTBNWUJZNEt1a0JpLVFBbEd5VUV2RUYxcTFhMTZRRDk2RnA4SXNndkJVbEJrUS1ZU0xSQ3RXeVBjRHkzZ25mREJPSWNq&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTheDalesReport&v=H261NyA24Qg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">  / thedalesreport  </a>✅ Twitter: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rU21HQWRHSHZTQU9fdlBKcFdVd0xvYXxBTl9pYzRkalNDUi1uREpzYWFSSXpPMEtiUnNoR0I2RzdCSGtEVW95NWFYTWtQTmU0TnpsRmp5T3p2Z1I1bTRNVkpCajI3YXhBb