Twitter Offers Substance Abuse Help After “Marijuana” Searches

Twitter Marijuana
Explore Twitter's initiative to offer substance abuse help after marijuana searches at CannaMD. Our informative article delves into how Twitter collaborates with SAMHSA, or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to take steps to provide resources for users seeking support in managing substance use. Learn about the platform's collaboration with substance abuse organizations to offer assistance and guidance. Discover how this effort aims to promote a safe and supportive environment for users who may need help. Whether you're a concerned individual or someone seeking support, Twitter's initiative shows a commitment to addressing substance abuse issues. Visit CannaMD to stay informed about this important development and access valuable resources for substance abuse help.
Table of Contents

Just when it seems that the acceptance and normalization of marijuana use is on the rise, we take another small step backward. Twitter has partnered with a federal drug agency to promote substance misuse treatment resources – but they are targeting those searching for marijuana or related keywords.

Twitter Suggests Users Searching For “Marijuana” Have A Substance Abuse Problem

Collaborating with SAMHSA, or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Twitter has begun adding a notification that shows above certain tweets deemed relevant to specific drug terms. A search for marijuana may now provide you with a “help is available” notification, suggesting that “if you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse” they should contact the SAMHSA hotline number or website.

Matt Sutton, director of media relations for the Drug Policy Alliance, told Marijuana Moment:

It is not surprising that SAMHSA would be behind stigmatizing content like this, but it is surprising that a platform like Twitter would allow them to co-opt entire search terms, regardless of a person’s reason for searching for them. It goes back to the same false dichotomy that people who use drugs are struggling and need help verses the reality that most people can use drugs non-problematically, while a small portion of the population tends to struggle with substance use disorder.

The issue is not necessarily that they offer the information but that the message pushes out-of-date stereotypes when it comes to drug use. This suggests that marijuana consumers may have problems with other drugs – and we know now that marijuana is not a gateway drug and most who use cannabis do not go on to use other substances. It also doesn’t seem to consider that many searching for marijuana may be medical marijuana patients looking for important and necessary information.

Other Substances Don’t Trigger Same Alert

Most insulting to those who rely on cannabis as a medicine is the fact that similar substance abuse concerns are not displayed when you search for alcohol. According to Marijuana Moment, a search for “vodka” will turn up advertisements and the Twitter accounts for brands like Smirnoff and Absolut. The lack of a warning was not exclusive to the “vodka” search either. Similar searches for keywords like “beer” or “wine” do not trigger the substance abuse notification.

As Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment:

If Twitter is going to add this feature for marijuana then they should absolutely do the same for alcohol, which is a more dangerous substance.

Considering the number of alcohol-related deaths each year, one might think that it would warrant the SAMHSA substance abuse warning. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates roughly 88,000 people die from alcohol related causes every year in the U.S. alone.

Alcohol isn’t the only more dangerous substance that doesn’t trigger the SAMHSA warning, either. Searches for “LSD”, “MDMA”, and “psilocybin” do not prompt the notification, even though they are all more dangerous than marijuana. Also interesting is the fact that a search specifically for “cannabis” will not trigger the warning.

Updated: July 24, 2023

Article Written By:

Julia Granowicz

Julia is a professional writer specializing in medical cannabis and alternative health reporting.

NEED YOUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD?

Questions about medical marijuana? Ready to get your card and purchase legal cannabis products? CannaMD‘s state-certified network of medical marijuana doctors are here to help! Contact CannaMD‘s experienced team at (855) 420-9170 today. You can also find out if you qualify for medical marijuana treatment with our quick online application!

Find Out If You Qualify

You may be eligible for medical marijuana!

To stay up-to-date with the latest studies and legal regulations surrounding medical marijuana treatment, be sure to follow CannaMD on Facebook and sign up for our newsletter, below!

Join 100k+ Subscribers!

Get updates on more posts like this!

Search
CONDITIONS
Categories
Related PostS
Feedback

Feedback from our readers is very important and helps us provide quality articles. Please don’t be shy, leave a comment.

If you have a topic you would like us to cover in our blog or you are interested in writing guest posts please contact us for more information.

FIND A DOCTOR
Get a medical marijuana certification in Florida