Marijuana Legalization Exposes Kids to Drugs: Report

The Washington State Poison Center’s latest Annual Toxic Trend Report shows marijuana legalization in 2016 has led to massive increases in exposure to the drug among youth.

In 2017, there were 378 marijuana exposures reported to the Washington State Poison Center. That’s an all-time high.

This tracks with experiences in other states over the past few years.

In 2015 the Associated Press reported marijuana-related calls to Poison Control had jumped by more than half.

In 2016 a study published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics found marijuana-related calls to regional poison control centers had increased.

The fact is marijuana is poisoning children and sending them to the E.R. As we keep saying, marijuana may be many things, but harmless simply is not one of them.

Read more about this report here.

Photo By Cannabis Training University (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Federal Judge Blocks Law That Protects Women’s Health

Little Rock – On Monday U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued an injunction blocking Arkansas’ 2015 Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act. The law requires abortion-inducing drugs to be administered according to FDA protocols and ensures clinics that perform drug-induced abortions contract with a physician who has hospital admitting privileges to handle any complications from the abortion.

In May the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear arguments over a 2016 order Judge Baker issued against the law, allowing it to go into effect. On June 19 Judge Baker issued a temporary restraining order blocking the law’s enforcement in Arkansas. Her latest decision makes that temporary restraining order permanent — meaning the law will remain blocked for the time being.

Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement saying, “This is a bad ruling. This law protects the public health and safety of women in Arkansas. Blocking it puts women at risk. Judge Baker’s decision to block this law means women who experience complications from abortions will have to drive themselves to the nearest emergency room, where they will be seen by doctors and nurses who know nothing about their medical history.”

Cox dismissed Baker’s claim that the law created an undue burden on abortion providers. “Arkansas has about 6,000 licensed physicians, and a majority of them have admitting privileges with one or more hospitals. It is not unreasonable for the State to require abortion clinics to contract with a doctor who has hospital admitting privileges.”

Cox said he is confident the law will be upheld on appeal. “Ultimately, this issue is going to end up in a higher court. Attorney General Rutledge’s office has done an excellent job defending this law. Her team won some big victories in federal court last year, and I believe they will win the fight to uphold this law as well.”

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