Podcast Summary: The Brett Cooper Show, Episode 133

"Weed Causes Psychosis. I’m Not Apologizing." (February 11, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brett Cooper dives into the ongoing debate around marijuana legalization and social acceptance, zeroing in on recent mainstream pushback against the notion that weed is harmless. Using personal family experience and a raft of current research and commentary, Brett explores the mental health risks—particularly psychosis and schizophrenia—associated with marijuana use, especially among young men. Throughout, Brett calls for a more honest, balanced public conversation about marijuana’s risks, challenging the normalization of stoner culture and the reluctance to acknowledge growing scientific concerns.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shifting Media Narrative on Marijuana

• [00:00] Brett opens by expressing strong disdain for "stoner" and weed culture, while clarifying she doesn't hate everyone who has ever used marijuana. The real issue: the denial of marijuana’s risks within popular culture.
• [01:22] Brett reacts to the New York Times editorial, "It’s Time for America to Admit that It Has a Marijuana Problem," noting the irony that a publication once pushing for legalization now admits it underestimated the drug’s risks.
• [02:01] She highlights how widespread daily marijuana use has become in the US: “Surveys suggest that about 18 million people in the United States have used marijuana almost daily… More Americans now use marijuana daily than alcohol.”

2. Normalization of Weed & Societal Trends

• [05:08] Brett observes the normalization of weed, especially among Gen Z, who tend to be more isolated and use it in solitary ways: “Weed is definitely not a social drug… It is an isolating drug.”
• Notes the commonplace acceptance of weed for medical and recreational use within her own social circles.

3. Risks of Marijuana: Addiction, Physical & Mental Health

• [16:00] Referencing the NYT: “This wider use has caused a rise in addiction and other problems. Each year, nearly 2.8 million people in the US suffer from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome… More people have also ended up in hospitals with marijuana-linked paranoia and chronic psychotic disorders.”
• [17:22] Brett recalls how cultural dialogue consistently downplayed marijuana risks, often comparing it to alcohol and dismissing addiction concerns.

4. Emerging Consensus & Community Blowback

• [20:40] Brett acknowledges that voices across the political spectrum (Alex Berenson, Sager Enjeti, Mike Cernovich, Dr. Drew, Liz Wheeler) are now openly discussing cannabis-induced psychosis, sometimes facing significant backlash.
• [24:09] Special mention of Liz Wheeler’s early and persistent warnings about marijuana risks to a libertarian/conservative audience, despite receiving massive online hate.

5. Cannabis-Induced Psychosis, Schizophrenia & Youth Vulnerability

• [28:55] Brett lays out research and data linking cannabis use—especially among boys and young men—to increased risk of psychosis and developing schizophrenia.
  • Cites a Yale article (2024), NIH study (2008), and research by Nicholas Fabiano:
    “41.3% of young males with cannabis-induced psychosis develop schizophrenia within three years.” [29:17]
  • "Teenagers who use cannabis by age 15 are more than four times as likely to suffer from schizophrenia compared to peers who do not." [29:04]

6. Brett’s Personal Family Story

• [32:10] Brett shares a personal account:
  • Her older brother developed psychosis, now diagnosed as schizophrenia, after years of marijuana use: “My mom and I have been told that my brother’s psychosis, now full-blown diagnosed schizophrenia, is most likely drug-induced from his years of smoking weed.” [32:13]
  • No prior family history of severe mental illness; the psychosis coincided with increased weed use, especially after a traumatic event—the death of her brother’s twin.
• Brett is sympathetic to the idea that traumatic life events can trigger psychosis, but insists marijuana use was a major, and possibly the triggering, factor in her brother’s decline.

7. Complexity of Causality & Fairness

• [36:30] Brett acknowledges that not everyone who uses weed will have negative effects and that some people use it to successfully manage health conditions. But, she argues, this doesn’t erase the risks for vulnerable groups.
  • “Both things can be true and it can depend on the individual, but that does not take away the experiences from either group.”

8. The Changing Potency of Modern Cannabis

• [39:04] Brett stresses that today’s marijuana is drastically stronger than previous generations:
  • THC has increased from “about 2 to 4% in the 1970s… to 15–30% or more today… extracts or concentrates can reach 90% THC.”
  • Contemporary strains are “650% stronger than what people smoked at Woodstock.” [41:51]
• Shares a blunt social media comment on the dangers of genetically modified, pesticide-laden, high-THC weed.

9. Cultural Double Standards & Honest Conversation

• [44:32] Brett argues people are generally more aware of the dangers of alcohol than of weed, largely because weed’s health risks are less discussed and its use carries less social stigma.
  • "It is shameful to wake up in the mornings and start drinking... The same can and should be said for weed, but in our modern culture... weed is more subtle, it is more accepted, it is less shameful." [44:46]

10. Societal Trends: Vice and Normalization

• [53:15] Brett places weed within a larger conversation about the rising mainstream acceptance of vices: drugs, gambling, porn, and the blurring of once-taboo behaviors (e.g., betting, "wine moms").
• Praises her audience for taking a strong stand against gambling sponsorships on her show, using it as an example of how some vices are being normalized through media and advertising.

11. Policy Solutions & Honest Information

• [58:08] Brett cautiously advocates for reassessment of marijuana policy, favoring at least a significant "sin tax," if not outright illegality, but admits the issue is complex—especially when considering alcohol, prohibition history, and individual liberties.
  • “Thank God I am not a politician. Thank God I am not in charge of writing the laws. I do not wanna be in that situation. But I do wanna be able to have honest conversations about all of these vices, including weed.” [59:00]
• Acknowledges that government intervention can't solve every problem:
  • Shares a comment: “Blaming the emergent issue on the substance… doesn’t mean that the substance caused the problem.” [59:50]
• Ultimately, her plea is for honest, transparent information for young people and vulnerable populations:
  • “Let’s at least give people open and honest information to base their decisions on. That’s basically all I’m asking for.” [01:02:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On normalization:
  “Weed is definitely not a social drug… It is an isolating drug.” [05:08]
• On NYT reversal:
  “It is now clear that many of these predictions were wrong. Legalization has led to much more use.” [02:50, quoting NYT]
• On family impact:
  “My brother Reid is now a diagnosed schizophrenic and he is mute. As it stands right now, currently, he is unable to participate in society unless he is medicated.” [33:32]
• On modern weed potency:
  “This new modern weed is alien. It’s pesticide-sprayed to fuck and has been genetically fucked with to no kingdom come. That GMO weed has the THC cranked up to the max way past natural levels…” [41:51, reading a blunt online comment]
• On societal vices:
  “All of these vices that used to be hidden, that used to come with shame, are now completely mainstream. Drug usage is completely commonplace... I’m also talking about porn. I’m talking about women reading smut and calling it literature. I’m talking about masking alcoholism by just being a lady who brunches or… a wine mom trying to get through the night by drinking an entire bottle of wine.” [53:37]
• On her plea for honesty:
  “If we can try to find some semblance of common ground here, let it be to try and protect young people, young people with developing minds, vulnerable populations who should not be lied to about the potential risks of this substance.” [01:01:44]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Episode introduction and framing the topic
• 01:22 – Discussion of the New York Times editorial shift
• 05:08 – Cultural normalization of weed among Gen Z
• 16:00 – Outlining physical and mental health risks, referencing research and stats
• 28:55 – The link between cannabis and psychosis/schizophrenia
• 32:10 – Brett’s personal family experience
• 39:04 – Changes in weed potency over time
• 44:32 – Alcohol vs. weed: risk perception and public awareness
• 53:15 – Normalization of vices in society
• 58:08 – Thoughts on policy, sin taxes, and limits of legislation
• 01:01:44 – Final plea for honest conversation and education

Tone & Style

Brett’s tone throughout the episode is direct, impassioned, and unapologetically critical of stoner culture and of the reluctance to discuss marijuana’s risks. She balances personal anecdotes with a barrage of studies and opinions from diverse sources, often quoting directly (and sometimes colorfully) from social media and research. While her stance is clear, she repeatedly calls for a fair, evidence-based conversation that acknowledges both the drug’s risks and benefits, especially for vulnerable populations.

Summary in a Sentence

Brett Cooper argues that, despite years of cultural and media insistence that marijuana is harmless, both scientific evidence and personal experience show it can have devastating effects—especially for young people—and demands a more honest, nuanced dialogue about the drug’s risks, rejecting the normalization of all vices in modern society.