Tag: Marijuana

Oklahoma’s Marijuana Legalization Fuels Massive Black Market Operations

News reports in Oklahoma show marijuana legalization has created a shocking black market problem across the region.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) revealed that law enforcement in other states have alleged 40% of America’s black market marijuana comes from Oklahoma.

The numbers are staggering. Over a twelve month period from 2023 to 2024, authorities say more than 85 million pounds of marijuana in Oklahoma went unaccounted for. That means it’s possible tens of millions of pounds of marijuana grown legally in Oklahoma may have been sold illegally on the black market in just one year.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond told reporters that criminal organizations have exploited the state’s “lax medical marijuana laws” to “flood the black market across state lines.” His Organized Crime Task Force has shut down more than 7,000 illegal operations and seized over 329,000 marijuana plants.

Contrary to popular belief, legalization in other states has actually emboldened drug cartels and increased the flow of illegal marijuana across the country.

Arkansas State Police routinely confiscate illegal marijuana from Oklahoma and other states.

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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Even “Casual” Marijuana Use Harms Teens: New Study

A major study from Columbia University confirms what many parents have long suspected: There is no such thing as “harmless” marijuana use for teenagers.

The study, published in Pediatrics last month, analyzed data from over 160,000 American students. Researchers found teens who used marijuana just once or twice a month showed higher rates of depression, anxiety, and impulsive behavior compared to teens who didn’t use the drug at all.

Students who used marijuana nearly every day were almost four times more likely to have poor grades and more likely to be frequently disengaged from school activities. The younger the student, the stronger these negative effects became.

The study comes at a time when an estimated one in five high school students use marijuana, and approximately 6% of 12th graders use it daily.

Today’s marijuana is not the same drug from decades past. Modern cannabis products are far more potent and dangerous. High-potency marijuana can trigger serious mental health problems. This is especially concerning for teenagers, whose brains are still developing.

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

Researchers now 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.

Arkansans should also pay attention. As other states move to legalize marijuana, we’re learning more about the serious dangers it poses—especially for children.

The evidence is clear: 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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New Study Links Marijuana Sales to Teen Psychiatric Emergencies

A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital shows teen psychiatric emergencies spiked after marijuana commercialization began in the state.

Researchers analyzed over 7,300 psychiatric emergency visits before and after recreational marijuana sales started in Massachusetts. The results were alarming. Teens aged 12-17 showed the biggest increase in marijuana use and cannabis-related disorders after commercialization.

Teen marijuana use jumped from 5% to 17.3% in psychiatric emergency cases. Cannabis-related disorders among teens increased from 3.2% to 12.1%.

Dr. Cheryl Foo, who led the study, called the findings “very concerning.”

Today’s marijuana is far more dangerous than what previous generations used. “What people were smoking at Woodstock in the 1960s was probably 3% THC versus now, on average, between 15% to 30%, sometimes even 60% THC,” Dr. Foo explained.

High-potency marijuana can trigger serious mental health problems.

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.

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.

READ MORE