John Stonestreet – Page 6

DOJ Claims Marijuana Safer Than It Is: Guest Column

May 15, 2024John StonestreetMarijuanaMarijuana

Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its plans to reclassify marijuana as a drug akin to prescription painkillers.

The proposed regulations would not decriminalize marijuana, but it is a push in that direction and would make accessing the drug easier across the country. This move to reclassify marijuana is the next dangerous step in a decades-long campaign to market it as safe and non-addictive.

Pot’s effects on health and sanity may not be as obvious as with harder drugs like ecstasy or meth, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Research has found marijuana use closely linked with increased risk for depression and bipolar disorder. It is also a leading indicator of workplace accidents and has led to higher rates of schizophrenia in young men.

It’s also worth noting that those who stand to gain the most from this reclassification are not patients, but corporations already profiting from the multi-million-dollar marijuana industry.

Ultimately, reclassifying marijuana will only lead to more harm, not health.

Commercial Surrogacy and Modern-Day Slavery: Guest Column

May 13, 2024John StonestreetSurrogacyCommercial Surrogacy

According to Britain’s The Independent, calls to an anti-slavery hotline grew from just under 10,000 in 2022 to nearly 12,000 last year. Whether the increase in calls reflects an actual increase of slavery in the U.K. or an increase in awareness of the hotline, it’s a reminder that an ancient evil is still very much part of the modern world.

Today, slavery can take the form of things like organ harvesting, or even surrogacy-based slavery, when women are warehoused, financially pressured, or otherwise coerced into providing children for paying Western customers.

This booming market, child advocate Katy Faust says, “is the real #HandmaidsTale,” with customers and “providers” willing to go to unconscionable lengths to secure the “product.” With so much money to be made and little to no legal restrictions, women and children are dehumanized and made commodities.

Make no mistake, this is one of the great human rights crises of our day.

Gender Ideology Coming for Courts: Guest Column

May 10, 2024John StonestreetLGBTLGBT, Transgender

Judges in the state of California who oversee child abuse and neglect cases are now required to take an annual training course entitled “LGBTQ+ Considerations.” The training urges judges to “use the name and gender of the youth they request” and “insist the Department use their requested name and gender.” And, recently in Ohio, a state-backed function featured a workshop in which activists told judges to affirm the transgender identity of youth.

Adopting language amounts to adopting ideas. When gender ideology shapes the courtroom, both the health and wellbeing of vulnerable young people and the God-given responsibility and prerogative of parents are threatened. Young people who struggle with gender are already at a higher risk of depression or suicide. Affirming their confusion does not lead to better mental health outcomes.

If the courts really hope to protect young people, they will protect the family and not undermine it with bad ideas.