Marijuana, Marriage, and More: New This Week

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

From Family Council

Arkansas State Police Seize Hundreds of Pounds of Illegal Drugs in February Traffic Stops: In one stop alone, troopers found 600 pounds of illegal marijuana and 15 boxes of THC products in a van traveling from Los Angeles to North Carolina. Other stops netted 45 pounds of marijuana from Oklahoma City, 19 pounds of marijuana from Memphis, and 115 pounds of methamphetamine from Dallas. Keep Reading.

Marijuana Use Reduces Brain Activity: Research reminds us that heavy marijuana use is associated with reduced activity in regions of the brain that are critical for young adults. Keep Reading.

Revisiting How Sports Betting Hurts Young Adults: Research shows that gambling is more addictive for college-aged individuals. Player prop bets let college students to engage in “micro-betting,” a more repetitive — and therefore more addictive — form of sports betting. Keep Reading.

Research Reminds Us Marriage Still Matters: A recent study from Barna reveals that fewer Americans are getting married today, but most still believe marriage is important and they want to get married someday. Keep Reading.

Supreme Court Sides with Parents Against California Public Schools’ Secret Gender Transition Policies: On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with a group of parents who challenged California’s secret social gender transition policy. The policy requires public school teachers and administrators to hide children’s gender dysphoria and social gender transition from parents. Keep Reading.

Spain’s Top Court Says 25-Year-Old Woman Paralyzed After Attempted Suicide Now Qualifies for Assisted Suicide: Noelia, 25, from Barcelona, attempted suicide multiple times before an October 2022 attempt left her paralyzed and in chronic pain. Two years later, she received approval for assisted suicide under Spain’s euthanasia policies. Keep Reading.

Western Civilization is Worth Defending: Marco Rubio has made a name, and a meme, for himself as the indispensable figure in the American government. Keep Reading.

Kansas Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto, Protects Women’s Privacy in Public Restrooms: Kansas Senate Bill 244 requires public buildings—including schools and universities—to maintain single-sex private spaces “for use only by individuals of one sex.” The law also mandates that birth certificates and driver’s licenses designate gender based on biological sex, not subjective gender identity. Keep Reading.

Canada’s Alarming Milestone: 100,000 Deaths from Assisted Suicide: According to the country’s most recent Report on Medical Assistance in Dying, 76,475 Canadians had died via assisted suicide as of December 31, 2024. With an average of 45 assisted suicide and euthanasia deaths every day, Canada is projected to surpass its 100,000th death by early June. Keep Reading.

From Our Friends

Why Gen Z “Nones” Are Reconsidering Religion. From Daily Citizen.

Indiana School District Pays Former Music Teacher $650,000 to Settle Religious Discrimination Case. From Alliance Defending Freedom.

South Dakota Committee Passes Bill to Ban Mail-Order Abortions. From LifeNews.

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

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Canada’s Alarming Milestone: 100,000 Deaths from Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, , , ,

Canada is poised to reach a grim milestone this summer: It’s 100,000th death through assisted suicide.

In the next year, Canada could expand assisted suicide to include people suffering solely from mental health conditions like anxiety or depression.

Canadian healthcare officials have also suggested euthanasia also be extended to “babies from birth to one year of age who come into the world with severe deformities and very serious syndromes.”

Canada has embraced assisted suicide and euthanasia in a way very few countries have. According to the country’s most recent Report on Medical Assistance in Dying, 76,475 Canadians had died via assisted suicide as of December 31, 2024. With an average of 45 assisted suicide and euthanasia deaths every day, Canada is projected to surpass its 100,000th death by early June.

All of this shows just how quickly a nation can slide down the slippery slope from “death with dignity” to a culture of death.

Being pro-life means believing innocent human life is sacred. That’s why Family Council has spent years opposing assisted suicide and euthanasia in Arkansas.

Just like abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are murder, and they violate the sanctity of human life.

The tragedy unfolding in Canada shows us what happens when society accepts the idea that some lives are not worth living. Instead of offering death as a solution, we should focus on providing better palliative care, mental health support, and compassionate assistance to those who are struggling.

Arkansas’ families, churches, and voters must continue to stand for the sanctity of human life and oppose any efforts to legalize assisted suicide in our state.

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

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Marijuana Use Reduces Brain Activity: Study

Marijuana

Research published last year reminds us that heavy marijuana use is associated with reduced activity in regions of the brain that are critical for young adults.

Authors at Neuroscience News recently reexamined the study first published in JAMA Network Open. They noted that “63% of heavy lifetime users and 68% of recent users showed diminished neural response during working memory tasks.”

Using a functional MRI, researchers found heavy marijuana users suffered reduced activity in areas of the brain that governed decision making, attention, and emotional processing.

It’s important to remember that modern strains of marijuana are much more powerful than in past. Today’s marijuana can contain 15% to 30% THC, compared to just 3% THC in marijuana from the 1960s. That’s troubling, because because high levels of THC in marijuana has been shown to trigger serious mental health problems.

Scientific research continues to find that marijuana use is harmful — especially for children, teens, and young adults.

A recent study from Columbia University found even “casual” marijuana use is linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and impulsive behavior in teenagers.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found teen psychiatric emergencies spiked after marijuana commercialization began in the state.

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

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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