Cannabis Correlations
Dear Editor,
In response to the recent Opinion published [“Opinion: Texas Needs a War on Fentanyl, Not Hemp-Derived THC,” Columns, July 31:] Mr. Davis argued that the fentanyl epidemic is more important than the war on banning consumable hemp-derived THC. Both of those issues must be addressed by Texas politicians, but your attention should be directed to a recent study finding a direct correlation between serious mental illness and marijuana use in teens. Vape shops popping up in Austin, promoting the sale of marijuana, must be regulated very closely. I agree with Mr. Davis that there must be a minimum purchasing age of at least 21, among other safeguards.
According to June 2026 findings by the Public Health Institute, teens who use cannabis may face a substantially greater risk of developing serious mental health conditions, including psychotic and bipolar disorder. 463,000 adolescents were included in the study and researchers found cannabis use often preceded these diagnoses by almost two years. There are serious concerns about its long-term effects on developing brains. The study was published in JAMA (Journal of the Medical American Association) Health Forum. The study was carried out by researchers from Kaiser Permanente.
With the skyrocketing cost of healthcare, lack of mental health professionals in Texas, lack of psychiatric facilities and available beds in Texas, and major lack of supportive services for those with mental illness, this new study linking teen marijuana use to serious mental illness is a crisis.
Marijuana reminds me of the tobacco industry. Tobacco was initially advertised as safe until years later when we learned that tobacco is harmful to every organ in the body and leads to cancer, heart disease, and lung damage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “cigarette smoking cost the United States more than $600 billion in 2018.” Imagine what we will find out about the dangers of marijuana years from now.
Marjorie Davidson
Pass the Bucks
Dear Editor,
Last month, you published your Best of Austin issue and named Lloyd Doggett the “most dogged public servant of 2026.” I could not agree more that in the congressman’s 50 years representing Austin he has worked as hard as any elected official could to support his constituents and advocate for this county. Recently, however, I have been disappointed with the congressman’s choice not to support the next generation of U.S. representatives for Travis County. Doggett has a war chest of more than $6 million according to recent FEC filings, and that is cash on hand. In this calendar year he has spent $30,000 supporting other candidates; $22,000 of those dollars went to candidates outside of Texas and the remaining $8,000 sent to Texas campaigns did not go to a single congressional candidate in any of the districts that will represent Travis County.
The election in November is so important our future. I look at a district like CD 10, which doesn’t have an incumbent, and I wonder why the congressman isn’t financially supporting the candidate in that district, Caitlin Rourk. Anybody who pays attention to politics knows that an open seat is a golden opportunity and that when elected, an incumbent will hold that seat for decades. In fact, no one probably knows this better than Congressman Doggett, a man who has held public office for half a century. These candidates need real resources: advertising, organizing, staff… the kind of support that decides close elections. Nobody is better positioned to make sure they have it than Rep. Doggett. So, I am asking him as a constituent grateful for his service, to spend this money – money he raised from his constituents over the years – on us before it’s too late.
Julie Lass
Movie Mix-up
Dear Editor,
[Re: “The Last Picture Show,” Calendar, July 31:] I was surprised to hear it was Duane this time who will have an affair with the coach’s wife because every other time I’ve seen this film it was Sonny, played by Timothy Bottoms. So this should be a really interesting cut! Then the boys are going to violate farm animals? Maybe she read the book at some point but has Lina Fisher ever seen this movie? Did she really think bestiality was going to get into a mainstream film in 1971? That’s a lot of mistakes to make in less than 100 words. Pretty impressive!
Teri Adams
This article appears in August 7 • 2026.