Women Who Use Marijuana Face Increased Risk of Death from Heart Disease

Marijuana

A new study shows women who often smoke marijuana are at significantly higher risk of death from heart disease compared to women who do not use marijuana.

Researchers noted that certain cannabinoids like THC — the primary psychoactive substance in marijuana — may contribute to inflammation, vascular problems, and hardening of the arteries. Marijuana smoke also exposes users to carbon monoxide, which poses a health hazard.

Researchers also pointed out that marijuana users are at increased risk of blood vessel ruptures.

All of this can contribute to heart disease and death.

A growing body of scientific evidence reveals that marijuana is harmful.

A recent study by the American Heart Association found that marijuana users face increased risk of heart attack and stroke compared to non-users.

Marijuana smoke contains toxins and carcinogens similar to tobacco smoke.

Teens who use marijuana are 11 times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder.

Research closely links marijuana use with increased risk for depression and bipolar disorder and to higher rates of schizophrenia in young men.

Right now the group Arkansans for Patient Access is actively working to drastically expand marijuana in Arkansas.

The group has until July 5 to collect 90,704 petition signatures from registered voters to place the marijuana amendment on the ballot.

If passed, the amendment would give free marijuana cards to immigrants and out-of-state residents who come to Arkansas to use marijuana.

The amendment would guarantee marijuana growers and sellers a monopoly over the state’s marijuana industry.

Marijuana users would no longer need to show they suffer from a specific medical condition listed in state law — making it easier to use marijuana recreationally.

The measure also fails to limit the amount of THC that marijuana products can contain, and it repeals restrictions on marijuana advertising.

All of this would lead to more marijuana in the state.

As 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.

READ MORE

President Roosevelt’s D-Day Prayer from 80 Years Ago

Prayer,

Eighty years ago today, Allied forces landed at Normandy to begin the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany.

President Roosevelt led the nation in prayer for American and Allied troops. In it, he said,

My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas — whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them–help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too — strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.

You can listen to President Roosevelt’s D-Day prayer below.

READ MORE

Arkansas Lottery Still Pays Pennies on the Dollar for Education

Arkansas Lottery

The Arkansas Lottery continues to budget only a small fraction of its revenue for education.

According to recent financial reports, the Arkansas Lottery has grossed $519.7 million this fiscal year, but it has only spent $99.7 million on college scholarships. While that sounds like a lot of money, it’s only about 19% of the lottery’s gross revenue — which is far less than what the lottery could afford to spend.

The Arkansas Lottery has spent more than $355 million on prizes for lottery players.

Since 2008, the Arkansas Lottery has shown a consistent pattern of over-spending on prizes and other expenses while under-spending on education.

The Lottery also has a habit of relying heavily on scratch-off tickets — including expensive tickets that entice people to spend money on long odds for large prizes.

Taken together, all of this makes Arkansas’ state-run lottery an especially predatory form of gambling.

The Arkansas Legislature also has continued to budget millions of dollars in taxpayer funding to supplement lottery scholarships every year.

In May lawmakers appropriated $25 million for the Academic Challenge Scholarship — the scholarship that the Arkansas Lottery funds — for the upcoming 2024-2025 budget cycle.

Even though the Arkansas Lottery makes hundreds of millions of dollars every year, relatively little money goes to students — and regular taxpayers still end up footing part of the bill for the scholarships.

Family Council has supported legislation in the past that would restructure the Arkansas Lottery’s budget to increase spending on education.

Arkansas could provide millions of dollars more in scholarship funding if it simply would reduce the Lottery’s prize budget and increase its scholarship budget to align with other state lotteries.

Unfortunately, that does not seem to be a high priority at the Arkansas Lottery.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers. Photo Credit: Powerball and Mega Millions Lottery Billboard in Missouri by Tony Webster, on Flickr.

READ MORE