A lightsaber wasn't ideal for knocking someone out either, hence why Leia was keeping it deactivated until and unless necessary. The Force was somewhat more helpful in that regard, but given the situation, using it to calm people's minds directly was less effective than normal.

"For the moment, our best bet is likely to get more equalizers set up," Leia said. "We can't just keep knocking people out or tying them up one or two at a time; we need to cut whatever is causing this off at the source."