EPA Sounds the Alarm Over Illegal Pesticides, Marijuana in California

Marijuana
Above: Illegal pesticides imported from China seized at illegal marijuana operations in California. (Photo Credit: KCRTV)

News outlets report Siskiyou County in California has declared a local emergency due to toxins from illegal pesticides used at illegal marijuana grow sites.

EPA officials say the crisis is “part of an international criminal enterprise” and that some of the illegal pesticides imported from China are the same chemicals used as “nerve gas agents in warfare” that can attack a person’s respiratory and nervous systems.

Even after legalization, California still struggles with a black market dominated by international drug cartels.

The DOJ has said organized crime from Mexico and China may be making millions of dollars from illegal marijuana in California, Maine, New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere.

Besides being a criminal enterprise, these illicit marijuana operations often pollute the environment and jeopardize public health.

Authorities in states like California, Maine, and Oregon routinely seize illegal pesticides at massive marijuana grow sites.

Unfortunately, marijuana products often carry serious health risks from pesticides — even when they are manufactured legally.

The marijuana plant itself easily absorbs toxins in the soil as well as chemicals or other substances sprayed on the plant. As a result, marijuana may contain pesticides, heavy metals, mold, or other contaminants.

These toxins are passed along into marijuana products — posing serious health risks for marijuana users.

Last year the Wall Street Journal reported that studies have found marijuana users have higher levels of heavy metals in their blood and are more likely to develop fungal infections. These toxins can cause serious — or even life-threatening — illnesses.

Research continues to underscore that marijuana is dangerous.

Researchers have found marijuana users are twice as likely to die from heart disease.

Heavy marijuana use has been linked to psychosis — especially among young men.

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

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

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A.I. Company Releases Sexually-Explicit Chatbot Rated Ages 12+

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Photo Credit: The Daily Citizen.

A sexually-explicit virtual “girlfriend” is now accessible on an AI app rated ages 12 and up.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) reports that last week xAI chatbot Grok unveiled new animated avatars that users can chat with on its app.

Grok is an artificial intelligence chatbot tied to social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Like most AI chatbots, users can chat with Grok and ask it questions. Grok’s AI iPhone app offers avatars that can speak with the user.

NCOSE writes about these new avatars, saying:

One is a 3D red panda that can switch into a “Bad Rudy” mode, where it starts insulting you and joking about committing crimes together. The other is an anime-style goth girl named Ani, dressed in a short black dress and fishnets. The avatars are designed like a game—you unlock new features and interactions the more you chat with them and move up levels.  …

While Ani is immediately sensual, her conversations become progressively more sexually explicit, including disrobing to lingerie. 

The Daily Citizen reports that Grok does not verify users’ ages, and the app is rated appropriate for ages 12 and up — meaning it’s likely children will encounter “Ani.”

Time reports the chatbot is accessible even when the app is in “kids mode.”

Unfortunately, social media platforms do not have a good track record when it comes to protecting children from harmful content.

Two years ago Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office filed lawsuits against social media giant TikTok alleging TikTok’s owners violated Arkansas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act by labeling the app as being appropriate for ages 13 and up when in reality TikTok should be rated 17+.

The A.G.’s legal team has argued TikTok promotes objectionable content to children on its app, including:

  • Intense profanity and obscenity
  • Sexual content, nudity, and suggestive themes
  • Violence
  • Alcohol, tobacco, and drugs

The lawsuit — which is still proceeding in court — alleges much of this harmful content is available even when teens are using TikTok’s content filtering.

At this point, it isn’t clear if a court would rule the Grok app should be rated 17+.

Arkansas has also enacted measures over the years to protect children from harmful content online — including social media content.

Our friends at the Daily Citizen said it very well:

When it comes to keeping children safe online, parents have their work cut out for them. Companies like xAI shouldn’t compound the problem by adding sexualized A.I. features to an app children use. But, unfortunately, there’s nothing stopping them from doing so.

No company is going to work harder than you to protect your kids. The best solution is to play it safe — keep your kids well away from A.I. chatbots and other dangerous internet traps.

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

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