Tag Archives: Maryland

Our Lives Were Changed Forever

On March 27, 2019 our lives were forever changed.  We were devastated by the reckless and untimely death of our second child, Aaron Reddy, at the age of 18.  Considering that marijuana is the drug that killed my child directly,  the drug that was in his blood when he died, I am furious that our state just voted to legalize marijuana, without understanding its dangers. But now there is a growing group of parents whose children died from marijuana.  We need to stand together, just like those whose kids died of opioids stand together.  We will also make ourselves heard.

When cannabis becomes legal, its dangers intensify, as the experiences of Colorado and California prove. When medical marijuana becomes legal, its dangers intensified in Maryland, as the story of  my son Aaron proves.  Here is Aaron’s story. Continue reading Our Lives Were Changed Forever

Marijuana Industry targets center of country in 2022 ballots

Several marijuana legalization ballots have been proposed for the 2022 election in November, including Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.  Although the marijuana industry did not achieve its goal of nationwide legalization by 2020, its current strategy targets the center of the country.   Then the rest of the nation will need to follow suit, so they think.   

If Missouri passes legalization and Wisconsin activists get their way, it will mess up Governor JB Pritzker’s plan to make Illinois the cannabis capital of the Midwest.   He depends on out-of-staters, who purchase at least 30% of the weed in Illinois, to prop up his struggling program.   Cannabis stores near the borders of Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky can make the most money. Continue reading Marijuana Industry targets center of country in 2022 ballots

Drugs CAN kill your kids…Even if they aren’t using

Two Young Lives Taken by Drugged Driving

My name is Jacki Cosner and 27 months ago we lost our eldest daughter, Kayla Nicole (20), and her husband, Daniel Brian Amos (21), on Valentine’s Day. They had only been married 6 months and she posted that morning how excited she was that her “halfyearversary” would always be on this day of celebrating true love.

Dan worked at a local church as an Arts Worship Leader and had recently been ordained a minister. He played electric guitar in the church band and was living out a musical dream for his passion. Jesus Christ. Kayla recently had graduated from Liberty University with a BS in Business, Entrepreneurship. Her dream of running a coffee shop was coming to fruition thru the church as well. They were opening one in the church lobby to raise money for End Hunger, a local charity. She had been volunteering with them for some time. Dan and Kayla were rooted in their faith first and rooted in their love for Christ. That is what made them who they were and made their life extraordinary.

On February 14th, 2016 they had gone to a late lunch after church at a restaurant Dan had been wanting to try. After that they went to Kayla’s favorite shop at the mall and he bought her a beautiful red lace skirt in honor of the occasion. On the way home, not twenty minutes in, at 4:30pm, an oncoming car crossed the center line and hit them head on. The impact hard enough to lift the rear slightly causing the car behind them to go under and flip their car over. Dan passed at the scene and Kayla was life flighted to Shock Trauma. We were informed her injuries were not survivable. We kept her on life support knowing and watching as vitals slowed. At 7 a.m. on February 15, 2016, we gave her hand to Dan one last time. I’ve heard repeatedly over the past 2+ years how strong I am. My response is always the same, “I would be weak again in a heartbeat if it would mean they were still here.”

Though there are a lot of people that would probably not agree with me, I consider myself a mother who lost her children to drugs. Heroin and marijuana specifically. No, they did not use the drug and I have not gone thru the daily torment of watching them battle the addiction. However, had it not been for the decision to use this drug by another person, Kayla and Daniel would still be here. They would still be planning and living the future they only started together 6 months earlier. A life they lived with intention in everything they did.

My heart hurts for every mom watching a child suffer

In my life, I have had the trials of raising teenagers that are curious and have not always made the choice we would want.  However, I have to say, we are blessed that that is all it came to be. A curiosity and lesson learned are lessons avoided.  There are countless other parents who tragically cannot say the same. My heart hurts for every mom who has had to bear the burden of watching a child suffer.  Its every parent’s worst fear to have their child make a horrible life altering decision that we know cannot end well.  I say these things including the decisions to take that first pill, smoke that first cigarette or joint, shoot that first needle.  We try so hard to teach them well and when these things come to light we wonder why and where did we go wrong? How did we fail them? The burden to keep our children safe and healthy becomes immeasurably harder and sometimes impossible.

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I may not have been living it for years or dealt with it daily up to February 14,2016, but an all-night bender of a person who just wanted to get through the night, get to work, and then decided it was perfectly fine to get behind the wheel of a 5000 lb. weapon, took my daughter and son-in-law.  She is here. And they are not. I fully support the idea that we must act on this war heavy and straight on. Mothers, fathers, children, sisters, brothers. All walks of life need help.  We most certainly need to bring the awareness to the open.  However, this is where I start to sway.  I have a challenging time blaming biology or calling it a disease. I have a challenging time dismissing the whole “choice” factor. At some point a choice was made. We do not need to make those curiosities and choices easier for our young future to explore. This is how we eradicate a disease.  The thought that we have started legalizing marijuana terrifies me. Just because we tell them to stay home does not guarantee anything. What next? Where will this lead?

Saying no can save the life of someone else

I feel there is a need for another perspective on the whole issue. Not one that undermines the work already done, but one that can hopefully enhance the cause and get the word to not just the families looking in the face of the addicted member, but to all the ones out there considering it.  They need to learn how an innocent person can suddenly and tragically be thrown into this world in a matter of seconds. They need to understand that saying “NO” can not only save their life, but could be saving the lives of someone else.  Maybe even their friend or family.

I would not wish this life on anyone–my life of grief or the driver’s life, living with that night. But I also cannot sit back and not try to help someone out there see that no one is beyond the unthinkable.  No one is invincible. The driver thought they were and now is sitting wondering where their life is going to lead.  Dan and Kayla Amos knew they were not invincible, but at least they knew where they were going and when they opened their eyes above, they were HOME.

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My daughter Kayla and her husband, Daniel

Maryland children get sick as Big Marijuana pushes Agenda

Gummy bears in Southern Maryland Middle School

Five schoolchildren were hospitalized in southern Maryland after a middle school student brought and shared marijuana-laced food to school.   Following an investigation, the St. Mary’s County sheriff has charged a father from Great Mills with reckless endangerment.

The man’s daughter and four other students had a reaction to marijuana laced gummy bears on January 2, the first day after winter break.  All five students reported feeling ill, and they were taken to the hospital in Leonardtown.   All children survived and went home to their parents or guardians, but not without a lot of drama.   The event triggered a police investigation, and a father has been charged.

In the affidavit filed, the father claims that “the edible gummy candies were given to him by an associate who came to his house for a party.”   This man left his candies in a plastic bag in his bedroom, knowing they were easily accessible to the daughter.

Maryland’s “medical” marijuana program opened its dispensaries about two months ago.  Southern Maryland Relief, LLC, is the only dispensary in southern Maryland.

Marijuana gummy incident in New Mexico

Also in January, a fifth grader in New Mexico brought gummy bears to school, perhaps unaware that they were tainted with THC.   The girl shared the candy with fourth graders at Albuquerque School of Excellence’s cafeteria.  Three students ate a single gummy, and the girl who brought the THC-laced gummies ate three or four pieces. A local TV station reported the incident on January 18.

The gummies, brought from home, came from a box labeled ‘Incredibles.’  ‘Incredibles’ brand medical marijuana told a TV station they do not make gummy bears and suspect someone counterfeited the logo.

The school suspended the girl for one week, although the administration believes it was an accidental mistake.  The girl’s parents said the candies were medicinal.  But it shouldn’t be so hard to keep medicine away from children without getting other people’s children sick, too.

Last week in Chicago, many students became sick after eating tainted gummies and chocolates.   Fourteen students from the elementary school in Humboldt Park needed to be hospitalized.

The Maryland, llinois, New Mexico incidents demonstrate how difficult is to control access to children once a state legalizes “medical” marijuana.  We reported several other incidences of school children accessing gummies and other treats last year.

Judicial overreach in Illinois leads to judge’s flawed decision

Medical marijuana advocates want and need chronic patients. There’s no evidence that marijuana cures pain.  It only lessens pain for a brief period of time. Anyone who uses marijuana for pain will have to come back for more.  Americans for Safe Access, a stepchild of Drug Policy Alliance and Marijuana Policy Project, has at least two staff members working full-time to lobby for Big Marijuana, suggesting that it’s as an alternative to pain pills.

Last week Judge Mitchell of Cook County declared that the state of Illinois must expand qualifying conditions for medical marijuana to include pain. The ruling came after a lawsuit filed by Ann Mednick, 58, who says she needs it for osteoarthritis.  Ann uses pain pills, but wants a treatment with fewer side effects.

Since when are judges allowed to decide on science and medicine?  Never, but the case was litigated in a very corrupt county, Cook County, Illinois.   (Is corruption the reason why media reports are not reporting that the tainted candy in Humboldt Park had THC?)

The ruling came at the same time when two other big stories to contradict the judge’s decision are also in the news.

Charles Johnston, a man from Illinois was recently arrested in Iowa for shooting at trucks indiscriminately, due to a grudge.   When police searched his car, they found prescription pill bottles full of marijuana, a marijuana pipe and a cigarette box with a marijuana joint.   Obviously, Mr. Johnston’s use of marijuana for pain triggered a violent eruption, possibly with psychosis.  Johnston teaches Psychology at Harper Community College, which also happens to be in Cook County.

Medical Marijuana Fraud in Canada

It would be interesting to know if Judge Mitchell and Ann Mednick heard about what happened to another woman who took “medical” marijuana for her arthritis pain.

Dawn Rae Downton, 60, took marijuana for inflammatory arthritis and developed constant vomiting, according to reports from Canada.  Downton, 60, is suing a dispensary in Nova Scotia for giving her eight months of sickness from their tainted product. Massachusetts and California, as well as Canada, have had widespread problems with tainted marijuana products, especially those claiming to be “medical.”

As New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned in 2014, medical marijuana is slippery slope.  It poisons people while creating addiction, including children who will always be attracted to gummy bears.  Big Marijuana pushes its agenda quickly in order to avoid exposure of their medical scam.