John Stonestreet, Radio Host and Director of the Colson Center
According to Dr. Eric Voth in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “There exists clear medical evidence of increased psychiatric difficulties with marijuana use, including violence, psychosis, schizophrenia, manic episodes, worsening depression and suicide.”
These effects are particularly harmful for youth.
Of course, when it comes to public policy, the cat is largely out of the bag, and probably isn’t going back in. One thing, however, is becoming more and more clear with each study, despite what proponents claimed and promised: marijuana is not the harmless thing we were sold by advocates and the state.
For the record, states should not be in the business of promoting distractions to citizens in the first place, especially harmful ones used to self-medicate symptoms of loneliness, pain, or anxiety without actually addressing the root causes. But this is particularly disturbing when they accomplish this by overselling financial windfalls and underselling the social consequences.
Copyright 2021 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.
Last week Family Council obtained documents from the Arkansas Department of Health via the state’s Freedom of Information Act showing that abortion facilities in Little Rock have hospital transfer agreements with UAMS.
Act 740 of 2021 by Sen. Ben Gilmore (R – Crossett) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) requires each abortion facility to have a transfer agreement with a local hospital and a transport agreement with a local ambulance service.
Act 740 is similar to a Kentucky law that has survived legal challenge. It helps protect women and babies who may be victims of botched abortions.
Arkansas currently has two licensed abortion facilities — both of which are in Little Rock: Planned Parenthood and Little Rock Family Planning Services.
Planned Parenthood recently opened a facility in Rogers, but it is not yet licensed to perform abortions.
WHEREAS: We unite in prayer, approaching the throne of God with confidence, as we ask for wisdom and guidance for the students of Arkansas throughout this school year; and
WHEREAS: We acknowledge our deep reliance on God to guide us through our academic endeavors and these challenging times; and
WHEREAS: We join in faith and prayer, seeking the Lord’s wisdom above all, and we humbly ask for God’s guidance, peace, and strength for students in Arkansas and our nation; and
WHEREAS: Students, teachers, and administrators of our State are afforded the privilege of prayer, affirming our spiritual heritage and the principles upon which our nation was founded; and
WHEREAS: Recognizing the love and power of God, we unite with fellow citizens to exercise the freedom we have to gather in prayer with thankfulness while seeking guidance, provision, protection and purpose for the benefit of every individual and our state as a whole; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ASA HUTCHINSON, Governor of the State of Arkansas, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the State of Arkansas, do hereby proclaim September 29th, 2021, as A DAY OF PRAYER FOR ARKANSAS STUDENTS across the state, and I urge all citizens of all faiths and backgrounds to voluntarily join in prayer for the success and safety of our students.
On Thursday Commissioner of Education Johnny Key issued a memo notifying educators that September 29 is a day of prayer and that Governor Hutchinson had issued a proclamation asking Arkansans to pray for students, teachers, and administrators.
We are grateful to Senator Hill and Representative Cooper for sponsoring Act 902 and to the legislature for passing this good measure into law. We also want to thank Governor Hutchinson and Commissioner Key for recognizing September 29 as the state’s first annual Day of Prayer for Arkansas Students. And we want to encourage Arkansans everywhere to pause this coming Wednesday to pray for our students, our teachers, and our school administrators.
