While the rest of the world looks on at America’s gun laws in horror, the nation’s right-wing TV hosts are finding ever more creative ways to deflect blame for its persistent mass shootings.

Step forward Fox News host Laura Ingraham who this week suggested cannabis was a key factor in the carnage.

She told viewers: “Pot use, especially among teens, can trigger psychosis and increase the chance that the young person will develop violent behaviours,” going on to cite reports alleging The New York Times removed a reference to the Uvalde, Texas shooter smoking pot during a killing spree which left 19 children and two teachers dead last month.

Ingraham said the alleged editing was symptomatic of the “pro-marijuana bias Americans have become accustomed to”.

“Americans are hearing a lot about AR-15s and background checks, and they deserve to hear about this as well,” she added.

Unsurprisingly, her arguments found little support on social media as users lined up to remind her of the relaxing effects of cannabis.

One tweeted: “Good lord, Laura Ingraham thinks reefer madness is to blame for gun violence. WTF kinda weed is SHE smoking?”

Prior to launching Cannabiz, Martin was co-founder and CEO of Asia-Pac’s leading B2B media and marketing information brand Mumbrella, overseeing its sale to Diversified Communications in 2017. A journalist...

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