Tag Archives: Marijuana legalization

Pot Revenue for At-Risk Kids is a BAD idea

A version of this letter ran in the Richmond Times Dispatch

In Kathy Glazer of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation’s recent column, she mentions that the Virginia General Assembly is going to devote 40% of tax revenues from marijuana sales to fund pre-school services for “at risk” toddlers.

Parental drug use is one of the lifestyle choices that puts children at risk to begin with. Marijuana triggers mood disorders which impair parenting ability and often leads to child abuse. The drug is widely known for causing Amotivational syndrome which can lead to unemployability or job loss.

Marijuana is an addictive drug which is totally incompatible with child rearing responsibilities.

What if the parents of the children are buying the marijuana and not properly caring for the children because of it?  Parents Opposed to Pot is tracking news reports of marijuana-related cases of child abuse and neglect leading to death of a child. Just since Colorado legalized recreational pot we have found 250 such tragedies, around the nation.

Emergency rooms in pot legal states are reporting dramatic increases of child poisoning cases due to parents leaving marijuana edibles out and accessible to their young.

Marijuana in the home is encouraging more youth use. Kids are falling prey to early addiction both because of their adult role models and easy access. We need to stop trying to justify legalization for the tax revenues, especially in the case where the funds are directed toward at-risk youth. Instead, Virginia citizens and our political leaders need to closely examine the unintended consequences in the states that have already made the mistake of commercializing a mind-altering drug.

Marijuana legalization is a sure way to fracture more families and put more children at risk.

Submitted by: Parents Opposed to Pot

 

Is Marijuana eco-friendly?

Marijuana is hazardous to your health and the earth.

The only thing green about marijuana is the color. Otherwise, it is an environmental disaster.

Whether grown outdoors or indoors, it is dirty agriculture and negatively impacts air & water quality, robs the electric grid and watersheds, and  produces greenhouse gases. The industry uses heavy pesticides which put wildlife at risk. It was never meant to be a large scale agricultural product. The end product contains mold and toxins that are harmful to humans.

https://youtu.be/iNdTscw7Bpg

Continue reading Is Marijuana eco-friendly?

Falsehoods About Legal Marijuana Exposed by Parents Group

 

Warns Virginia Legislators Not to Ignore the True Costs and Harms

Merrifield, VA—February 8, 2021–Opponents to the Virginia bills which will permit 400 retail marijuana shops and home grows in neighborhoods around the state, are hearing some alarming arguments in favor of the idea. Parents Opposed to Pot (PopPot), a drug prevention campaign, responds to the erroneous information currently being accepted by some legislators.

The reasons constituents are being given for supporting the legislation (SB 1406 and HB 2312) are in bold. What follows are the PopPot rebuttals:

There has not been an increase in the use of marijuana in states with legalization.

The recently released SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH 2018-2019) shows that drug use doubles when a state legalizes. MomsStrong.org recently published a helpful chart of this data.[1] In the state of Colorado about 20% of teens use marijuana regularly, and half of those teens have progressed to the more dangerous high THC concentrates. These psychoactive drug products manufactured and sold by the marijuana industry include vapes and edibles.[2] In jurisdictions where there is a high density of marijuana shops the rate is even higher. In Pueblo, Colorado, known as the Napa Valley of marijuana, the youth rate is 35%, and in Denver the rate is 25% for teens.[3]  Teens were not using these products before legalization.

Continue reading Falsehoods About Legal Marijuana Exposed by Parents Group

Parents Group Warns Marijuana Legalization is Unhealthy for Families and Communities

 

Virginia Legislators Need to Evaluate Public Health Outcomes in Pot Legal States says PopPot

Merrifield, VA– February 4, 2021—[EIN Press Wire]Virginia’s state legislature is fast-tracking a bill to legalize marijuana. Parents Opposed to Pot (PopPot), a Virginia-based educational nonprofit, calls on the legislature to slow down and consider the fact that this is an addictive drug that can cause severe mental illness.

“The governor claims his top priority is public health, and yet the only legislative committee not to review the pending marijuana commercialization law is the Health committee,” explains Aubree Adams, Assistant Director of PopPot. “Our website, poppot.org, contains dozens of stories of marijuana addiction, psychosis, and death, written by parents, former and current users of marijuana.”

Continue reading Parents Group Warns Marijuana Legalization is Unhealthy for Families and Communities