The Isabel Brown Show

Episode Title: America Has a Marijuana Problem—Colorado Proved It
Air Date: February 11, 2026
Host: Isabel Brown
Podcast Network: The Daily Wire

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the public health and policy consequences of marijuana legalization in the United States, with a particular focus on Colorado as a case study. Host Isabel Brown reacts to a recent New York Times editorial reversing its pro-legalization stance, sharing personal perspectives, expert data, anecdotes, and policy critiques to argue that America faces a severe marijuana problem. Isabel contends that the normalization and commercialization of high-potency cannabis have led to increased addiction, psychosis, and social harms, while failing to deliver the promised benefits.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The New York Times Reverses Course on Marijuana (00:26–07:00)

• Headline and Reactions:
  Isabel highlights a new NYT editorial headlined, "It's time for America to admit that it has a marijuana problem," which marks a substantial shift from the paper's earlier support for legalization.

  "I'm over here thinking, having grown up in Colorado... Where the hell have you people been?"
  (Isabel, 01:44)

• Rising Usage Stats:
  The editorial notes that, since 2012 (when Colorado legalized), regular marijuana use has grown from 6M to 18M Americans—a level now surpassing daily alcohol use.

  "More Americans now use marijuana daily than alcohol."
  (NYT, quoted by Isabel, 04:16)

• Addiction and Health Impacts:
  Citing the NYT and medical data:

  • Nearly 2.8 million Americans suffer from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (severe vomiting and pain).
  • Increase in marijuana-related hospitalizations for psychosis.
  • Traffic deaths involving marijuana have spiked in states like Colorado.

• Legal vs. Policy Contradictions:
  The NYT acknowledges harm in both criminalization and commercialization; the episode emphasizes the failure to find a regulatory middle ground.

2. The Science & Anecdotes: Mental Health and Potency (07:00–16:00)

• High-Potency Cannabis Dangers:
  Isabel points out that today's commercial marijuana is far more potent than in the past, citing some dispensary products with 30–95% THC, compared to 1–3% in previous decades.

  "These products are dangerous and using them even one time can dramatically increase a person's risk of having a manic or psychotic episode."
  (Ryan Saavedra, quoted at 08:55)

  “It is not the same thing that our politicians... were smoking... in the 80s and 90s.”
  (14:12)

• Personal & Social Anecdotes:

  • Brett Cooper's story: Her brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia, likely induced by years of marijuana use—sparking heated online debate and stories from listeners noting similar experiences.
  • Social normalization, especially among influencers on both political left and right, is criticized for erasing the real risks.

  “I personally know many people who have lost their jobs, who have dropped out of school, who have lost all... relationships... because the completely harmless experience of getting high ...was never gonna become something that controlled you.”
  (Isabel, 12:30)

• Scientific Citations:

  • Dr. Brandon Liu: Smoking one joint/day causes as much lung function decline as smoking 20 cigarettes/day.
  • Dr. Nicholas Fabiano: 41.3% of young males with cannabis-induced psychosis develop schizophrenia within three years.
  • Dr. Joseph: Modern high-potency weed is “literally causing brain damage that looks like and eventually does manifest in schizophrenia.”

3. Policy Outcomes: The Colorado Example (16:00–36:30)

• Traffic and Health Stats:

  • Traffic deaths involving marijuana in Colorado increased by 138% (2012–2021); the share of all traffic deaths involving marijuana doubled.
  • Hospital exposures to marijuana rose 185%.
  • About 61% higher marijuana use rates in Colorado compared to national average.

• Black Market Persistence:

  • Legalization failed to eliminate illicit sales. Increase in black market grows, plants seized, and interstate trafficking persisted.

  “Seizures of marijuana reported... increased 48% from the time that marijuana was commercialized...”
  (32:30)

• Fiscal Arguments Refuted:
  Promises that marijuana taxes would save public education fell flat—after eight years, less than 1% of state budget came from marijuana taxes.

  “In the fiscal year 2020, marijuana tax revenue represented 0.98% of the entire state budget. Nice.”
  (35:20)

• Negative Community Impacts:
  Increases in youth use, state park and ski resort issues, and a surge in hospitalizations/fatalities.

4. Media, Lobbying, and Social Influence (20:00–27:00; 36:30–42:00)

• Influencer Campaigns:
  Isabel notes paid influencer campaigns, especially on the right, pushing pro-legalization messaging—sometimes with six-figure payouts.

  • Example: Rogan O'Hanley (DC Drano) paid $59,000 for one post by a pro-legalization committee, plus another $105,000 for additional content.

  "It is hard to be the hard ass to say marijuana is a dramatic, disastrous, evil mistake..."
  (28:39)

5. National and State Political Shifts (36:30–40:30)

• Legislative Movements:
  • Massachusetts ballot initiative may seek to reverse recreational legalization with strong early signature/gathering momentum.
  • Discussion of possible re-regulation or partial recriminalization movements.
  • Even red states and some elements of the Trump administration have flirted with pro-legalization rhetoric.

6. Strong Conclusion and Call to Honesty (40:30–46:00)

• Isabel reiterates her message:

  • Marijuana addiction, psychosis, and related harms are real and must be addressed.
  • She urges honesty from influencers, citizens, and policymakers even if unpopular:

  "...for the love of all that is good, don't fall for this."
  (Isabel, 41:51)

  "We are bankrupting entire industries because we are spending more on the crisis of marijuana legalization than we are bringing any sort of meaningful tax revenue in..."
  (42:20)

  • Quotes the NYT’s new position:

  "It is time for America to admit that it has a marijuana problem. It has been time for a really long time to be honest with you, but if we can get there in 2026, I will be incredibly proud."
  (44:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the U.S. Marijuana Problem:

  “America has a severe marijuana problem. I'm tired of pretending like we don't. And it should not be politically sexy... when in reality it is destroying the health of our generation...”
  (00:26)

• Comparing Today’s Marijuana to the Past:

  “Now vapes and joints routinely push 30% THC, not 3%, while dispensary shelves... [have] 95% THC.”
  (09:19)

• On Social Pressure & Silencing Dissent:

  “You are an evil, fascist, authoritarian, if you are pointing out that we have a serious marijuana problem, and we have for decades.”
  (13:57)

• Addressing Listeners’ Skepticism:

  “There's going to be a lot of you with screaming comments in my comment section... because I'm one of the rare people out there that has never ever, ever, ever, ever allowed a cannabis product to touch my lips, edibles, joints, any of it. No thank you."
  (18:04)

• Policy Failure in Numbers:

  “Less than 1% of the entire state budget is accounted for by taxes brought in from marijuana sales. So worth the destruction to the state, worth the destruction to the culture... No, definitely not.”
  (35:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:26–07:00 — NYT editorial reversal and America’s marijuana usage spike
• 07:00–16:00 — Dangers of today’s high-potency cannabis and mental health crises
• 16:00–36:30 — Deep dive: How legalization impacted Colorado (traffic, health, black market, fiscal effects)
• 20:00–27:00 — The role of social media influencers and paid lobbying in shaping the debate
• 36:30–40:30 — Rising calls for de-legalization and the example of Massachusetts
• 40:30–46:00 — Final arguments, call to honesty, and the central takeaways

Summary Flow & Tone

The tone is urgent, direct, and deeply personal—Isabel blends policy critique, scientific evidence, and heartfelt anecdotes to expand the argument beyond politics into public morality and generational responsibility. There's clear frustration at mainstream and social influencers trivializing marijuana harms, as well as skepticism towards both pro-legalization fiscal promises and regulatory “success stories.” The episode repeatedly circles back to the damage observed in Colorado (Isabel’s home state) and insists on honest, courage-driven debate, even at the cost of popularity.

Final Thoughts

The episode concludes by urging listeners—including skeptics and casual users—to face inconvenient truths about marijuana's societal costs, to push for honest media coverage, and to participate in shaping health-conscious policy. Isabel refrains from prohibitionist rhetoric but calls for a reckoning with the consequences of America’s marijuana experiment, using Colorado’s data as a warning for the nation.