6. Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead was a cultural anthropologist and activist who helped spark the feminist and sexual revolution movements in the United States.
A quote from Mead that appeared in Newsweek in 1970 reads like it could have been said today: “It is my considered opinion at present that marihuana is not harmful unless it is taken in enormous and excessive amounts.
I believe that we are damaging this country, damaging our law, our whole law enforcement situation, damaging the trust between the older people and younger people by its prohibition, and this is far more serious than any damage that might be done to a few overusers, because you can get damage from any kind of overuse.”
Kary Mullis died in 2019 (of pneumonia).
Francis Crick, when he stated that “In my view, cannabis is not a dangerous drug, and is certainly no worse than the combination of alcohol and tobacco,” clearly intended to say that cannabis is not very harmful, however, actually, he greatly overestimated the potential for harm from cannabis! Actually, almost no medical conditions (and none serious), nor violence nor traffic accidents have ever been proven to be caused by cannabis use. EVER (and not for want of trying).
The truth is, cannabis use is not nearly as harmful as “the combination of alcohol and tobacco,” in fact, it is MUCH, MUCH less dangerous than either one.