Editor’s note: Students at SUNY Upstate Medical University are learning more than how to be doctors, researchers and public health experts. They also are acquiring skills to advocate for their patients, communities and profession. Several students recently submitted letters to the editor addressing topics of concern to the Syracuse community.

To the Editor:

Let’s talk about cannabis. Adult-use cannabis has been legal in New York for several years, yet public conversation about it sometimes sounds like we’re living in the past. Recent reports about pediatric exposures and other harms are important, but the lingering stigma around cannabis makes it harder, not easier, to address these issues.

The problem isn’t cannabis itself so much as the way we talk about it. When a legal substance is still treated as a taboo, people are discouraged from asking questions, seeking guidance or learning how to use it more safely. This is especially true with risks that deserve straightforward education, such as accidental ingestion by children, cannabis hyperemesis syndrome or impaired driving. If adults feel judged for using a legal product, they might not seek help or learn the basics of safer dosing, storage and use.

Public health agencies have long understood that harm decreases when education is honest and stigma-free. We see this with alcohol. Nobody pretends that it’s harmless, but we still communicate simple, effective messages like “drink responsibly.” Organizations can openly talk about safety. Cannabis deserves the same treatment.

State agencies, health systems and community organizations should feel comfortable addressing cannabis the way we address alcohol: as a legal adult substance that needs clear, consistent, responsible messaging. Resources to support this approach are already available through the New York Office of Cannabis Management and Upstate New York Poison Center.

A stigma-free approach will make our communities healthier.

Daniel Brunick

Solvay