A few years ago I wrote a somewhat tongue-in-cheek blog post titled, “Cannabots – Are the Robots Coming For Your Weed,” which discussed the application of robotics to the cultivation of marijuana. In that post I cited several articles discussing the use of robots as farmers, restaurant workers, fashion models, and even lawyers. Just a few weeks ago my colleague, Hilary Bricken, authored a post, Will AI Replace Your Cannabis Lawyer? (I Asked ChatGPT) in which she discussed her conversation (?) with ChatGPT about being a cannabis lawyer, the ethical rules, and to draft a cannabis contract (ChatGPT declined to do so).
This morning I read Kevin Roose’s column for the NY Times, A Talk With Bing’s Chatbot Left Our Columnist ‘Deeply Unsettled, Even Frightened’ (paywalled), and decided to check out Bing’s competitor, ChatGPT, for myself.
I asked ChatGPT some questions about marijuana and I asked it to write a blog post. The results, below, are impressive, though less scintillating than the Roose piece. ChatGPT seems to follow a dry book report format. Ted Chiang’s recent article for the New Yorker on ChatGPT may explain why. In any event, ChatGPT is pretty fun! My queries are in bold and the unedited text that was generated by ChatGPT follows:
What are the greatest political challenges to legalizing marijuana at the federal level?
Legalizing marijuana at the federal level in the United States is a complex political issue, and there are several challenges that need to be addressed. Here are some of the greatest political challenges to legalizing marijuana at the federal level:
Political Divide: Marijuana legalization is a divisive issue among politicians and voters, with some advocating for legalization, while others oppose it. Republicans, in particular, have been more resistant to legalization efforts, and with the current political divide in Congress, it has been challenging to pass any significant cannabis reform legislation.
Federalism: The United States is a federal system, meaning that the powers of the federal government and state governments are separate but overlapping. This has created challenges for legalizing marijuana at the federal level because it is still illegal under federal law. As a result, some politicians and interest groups are concerned about the impact of federal legalization on states’ rights and the ability of states to regulate their own marijuana industries.
Public Perception: Despite the growing acceptance of marijuana in the United States, there is still a stigma associated with it. Some politicians and interest groups are concerned that supporting marijuana legalization could be viewed negatively by their constituents or could harm their chances of re-election.
Lack of Research: Marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, which makes it difficult for researchers to study its potential medical benefits. This lack of research has made it challenging to create evidence-based policy around the legalization of marijuana and has contributed to political resistance to legalizing marijuana at the federal level.