Category: Marijuana

Children Face Greater Risk of Mental Disorder If Their Mothers Used Marijuana During Pregnancy: New Study

A study released last week shows children and adolescents face an increased risk of mental disorder if their mothers used marijuana during pregnancy.

The study published in JAMA Pediatrics analyzed longitudinal data about the effects of marijuana use from the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. The ABCD Study tracks brain development and health in nearly 12,000 youth as they grow into young adults.

The new research found marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with attention, social, and behavioral problems that last as children enter early adolescence and may put children at an increased risk of mental disorders and substance use as they grow older.

The NIH has noted that marijuana use among pregnant women has increased from 3% in 2002 to 5.4% in 2019.

A growing body of research shows marijuana is harmful to unborn babies, children, adolescents, and young adults.

Last year a study out of California found infants were 35% more likely to die within a year of birth if their mother used marijuana heavily.

The study also found that infants were more likely to be born preterm, have a low birth weight, and be small for their gestational age.

In June, The New York Times reported the story of a teenage girl who could not stop fainting and throwing up after becoming addicted to vaping high-potency marijuana.

Marijuana can have damaging effects on adolescent brains — including permanent loss in IQ, difficulty thinking and problem-solving, reduced coordination, and increased risk of psychosis.

A 2019 study found using marijuana with THC levels exceeding 10% increased the odds of a psychotic episode.

Another study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal last year found adults under age 45 who frequently used marijuana were roughly twice as likely to suffer heart attack as adults who did not use marijuana.

A report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that states that legalized commercial marijuana sales saw self-harm rates rise by 46% among men ages 21 to 39.

In Colorado, authorities report that traffic deaths involving drivers who tested positive for marijuana have increased 138% since marijuana was legalized in 2012. Research shows Canada saw a dramatic increase in driving while high following legalization of marijuana in 2018.

The list goes on and on.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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Authorities In Oregon Seized One Ton of Marijuana Last Week Despite Legalization

Evidence continues to emerge that legalizing marijuana simply fuels crime and drug problems.

Oregon was one of the first states in the U.S. to legalize marijuana.

But last week the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon seized approximately one ton of processed marijuana along with nearly 13,000 marijuana plants at two different illegal grow sites.

This same county sheriff confiscated 37,000 plants and 1.5 tons of illicit marijuana at an illegal grow site earlier this month.

Public statements show this one sheriff’s office in Oregon has seized several tons of illegal marijuana this year alone.

Illegal marijuana farms reportedly have inundated Oregon, California, and Colorado despite the decision to legalize so-called “recreational” marijuana in those states.

According to news reports, Oregon has been inundated with illegal marijuana farms “run and controlled by multinational criminal organizations” — in other words, drug cartels and organized crime — tied to human trafficking, theft, and violence.

California created a legal framework for growing and selling marijuana in order to weaken drug cartels’ power in the state, but instead their illegal marijuana farms have grown.

Colorado was the first state to start selling recreational marijuana, but on 2020 law enforcement seized more than five and a half tons of illicit marijuana in Colorado intended for the black market.

Legalizing marijuana simply creates more drug problems. Contrary to popular belief, legalization does not decrease drug-related crime, and it does not alleviate drug abuse. If anything, it seems to make those problems worse.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Authorities in Oregon Confiscate 37,000 Plants, 1.5 Tons of Illegal Marijuana at One Grow Site

Last week authorities in Oregon seized 37,000 marijuana plants and some 3,000 pounds of processed marijuana at a single, illegal marijuana farm.

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office in southwest Oregon issued a statement, saying that from September 6 – 8 law enforcement executed search warrants at the marijuana farm, resulting in two arrests.

In a press release, the sheriff’s office said, “During the execution of the warrants more than 37,000 growing marijuana plants were seized and destroyed along with approximately 3,000 pounds of processed marijuana. Multiple firearms were also seized.”

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office reportedly seized 2,700 plants and 90,000 pounds of processed marijuana at a different illegal grow site the week before.

Illegal marijuana farms reportedly have inundated Oregon despite the state’s decision to legalize “recreational” marijuana.

Oregon isn’t the only state where illicit marijuana continues to thrive despite legalization.

Last week NBC News reported that illegal marijuana farms continue to be a serious problem in California.

The article’s authors note that California legalized so-called “recreational marijuana” to weaken drug cartels’ influence, but that has not worked as expected.

And in 2020 law enforcement in Colorado reportedly seized more than five and a half tons of illicit marijuana intended for the black market.

Legalizing marijuana does not decrease drug-related crime, and it does not alleviate drug problems. If anything, it seems to make those problems worse.

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