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New Study Shows Marijuana is Sending Older Adults to the E.R.

Dec 22, 2025Jerry CoxMarijuanaMarijuana

New research shows emergency room visits from marijuana products have skyrocketed among older Americans.

The study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine tracked E.R. visits specifically related to CBD products, medical marijuana, and drugs made from hemp, like Delta-8 THC.

Researchers recorded nearly 18,000 E.R. visits by adults 50 or older between 2016 and 2023.

Patients suffered from altered mental states, psychiatric episodes, fainting, heart problems, and dangerous falls. Many arrived at hospitals after consuming gummies, liquids, or other edible products made from marijuana.

Most of the patients indicated they were using marijuana for medical purposes.

One in five patients required hospitalization due to serious complications from the drugs.

CBD products alone accounted for more than half of all emergency visits, despite being marketed as safe and natural.

This spike in E.R. visits related to marijuana is not an isolated situation. A 2024 study found E.R. visits surged among Canadian seniors following legalization. A 2022 study revealed E.R. visits increased for Canadian children who suffered from marijuana poisoning. Other researchers have found poison center reports due to marijuana exposure rose 245% from 2000 – 2020. Earlier this year, medical professionals in Connecticut reported that marijuana is sending children to the E.R. and prompting people to call Poison Control.

A growing body of scientific research shows marijuana is dangerous.

From deadly heart disease and cancer to stroke, mental illness, and birth defects, marijuana has been found time and time again to pose serious health hazards.

In fact, researchers say marijuana doubles a person’s risk of death from heart disease.

And instead of decreasing crime, marijuana legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels and increased the flow of illegal drugs across America.

All of this simply 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.

Court Clears Way for Trump to Defund Planned Parenthood

Dec 22, 2025Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Life, Planned Parenthood, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

*Above: Planned Parenthood’s closest abortion facility to Arkansas, located in Southeast Kansas.*

On December 12, a federal appeals court handed the pro-life movement a major victory. The court ruled that the Trump administration can strip Planned Parenthood of its Medicaid funding.

The First Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s injunction that had blocked a key provision in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” preventing taxpayer dollars from going to abortionists through Medicaid. The provision effectively defunds Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business.

Planned Parenthood had argued the law violated their constitutional rights, but the court said Congress is free to decide how to spend taxpayer dollars.

Judge Gelpí explained that the law doesn’t punish Planned Parenthood for past actions. Instead, it simply gives them a choice: Stop doing abortions and keep getting taxpayer money, or keep aborting unborn children and lose the funding.

Planned Parenthood has claimed the funding cut could force them to close as many as 200 facilities.

In Arkansas, abortion is generally prohibited except to save the life of the mother, and the state cut ties with abortionists like Planned Parenthood many years ago.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states are not required to fund abortionists, and the Arkansas Legislature and the governor have both blocked Planned Parenthood and its affiliates from receiving public tax dollars.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains still operates facilities in Little Rock and Rogers, but neither one performs abortions.

However, reports also show Planned Parenthood may be spending millions of dollars to help women cross state lines for abortion, and news outlets have highlighted how pro-abortion states are protecting abortionists who ship abortion drugs across the country. Those are serious concerns.

But the court ruling is still good news for Arkansas. It shows that Congress has the power to direct taxpayer funding away from abortionists, and it helps underscore that Arkansas lawmakers were right to defund Planned Parenthood.

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

This Week: EFA Rules, China, Abortion Pills, and More

Dec 19, 2025Jerry CoxCurrent EventsWeekly Rewind

Here’s a quick recap of the week’s top stories from Family Council and our friends:

From Family Council

Problems with Proposed EFA Rules: On Monday, Family Council and its homeschool division, the Education Alliance, submitted public comments asking the Arkansas Department of Education to rethink a set of proposed rules prohibiting Educational Freedom Account (EFA) money from being used for team sports under the LEARNS Act. Keep Reading.

President Trump Moves to Loosen Restrictions on Marijuana. On Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order to expedite the process of moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The change would put marijuana in the same category as anabolic steroids or Tylenol with Codeine. Keep Reading.

A Population Control Bust in China: A recent article in Newsweek highlights the dramatic population decline facing China after decades of anti-family policies. Keep Reading.

Girls’ Sports Continues Still at Risk of Being Erased: Concerned Women for America reports a teenage boy has won a girls’ Irish dance competition for the third year in a row, taking the top spot from female competitors and earning a chance to compete as a girl at the Irish Dance World Championships this spring. Keep Reading.

State Officials Investigating Abortion Pill Ads: News outlets say a national pro-abortion group is placing ads for abortion pills at gas stations in South Dakota, prompting state officials to launch an investigation into whether the ads violate state laws. Keep Reading.

Pro-Transgender Medical Groups Sued for Misleading Families: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a major lawsuit against three prominent medical organizations, accusing them of deceiving families about the safety and effectiveness of sex-change procedures for children. Keep Reading.

Yet Another Study Says Marijuana is Harmful: A new study published in the journal Clinical Cardiology shows marijuana use — whether it’s smoking, vaping, eating, or dabbing — increases the risk of coronary heart disease. Keep Reading.

Netflix Promotes LGBT Content in Children’s Programming: A new study from Concerned Women for America shows that over 41% of children’s shows on Netflix contain LGBT content. Keep Reading.

Parents’ Fundamental Right to Direct Their Children’s Education Being Undermined: Recently, our friends from Alliance Defending Freedom testified before members of Congress about how public schools are undermining parental rights. Keep Reading.