Gov. JB Pritzker continues to make sure Illinois has more than its share of pot dispensaries. And as Illinois Family Institute warned repeatedly that what was happening in Colorado would also happen here, there are consequences. Dire consequences.

Marijuana use among adolescents has now surpassed alcohol use.

A 20-year study shows a 245 percent increase in marijuana use by children aged 6-18 since 2000, while alcohol use has steadily declined.

This is very bad news for several major reasons. Let’s start with the detrimental effect on brain development in early adolescents.

The Frontal Lobe is the largest of the four major lobes of the brain. It’s liable for final decision making, judgment and reasoning. It’s not fully developed until around the age of 25. With marijuana use, however, blood flow is slowed to the Frontal Lobe. The results can be memory loss, sluggish learning, impulsivity, lessened inhibitions, impaired judgment, and more.

There’s ample research indicating regular use can result in a permanent loss of IQ by about 8 points in adolescents. It doesn’t sound like much, but it means more college dropouts, more out-of-wedlock pregnancies, more crime, more homeless – more of things citizens don’t want and our state cannot take.

In addition to reducing IQ, early adolescent use of pot can cause serious mental health problems like anxiety, depression and schizophrenia that lead to psychotic episodes.

A National Library of Medicine’s article concluded that adolescent use of marijuana speeds up psychosis development by three years, especially for those whose parents have psychotic disorders.

“Young people with a parent or sibling affected by psychosis have a roughly one in 10 chance of developing the condition themselves—even if they never smoke pot. Regular marijuana use, however, doubles their risk—to a one in five chance of becoming psychotic,” say researchers at Harvard.

Knowing these scientific facts, you would hope any compassionate governor would be alarmed and be discouraging the use of pot. Instead, Pritzker recently marked a milestone by attending the opening of the first “social equity” marijuana dispensary. (Pritzker boasted that all 192 “social equity” licenses have been issued and more dispensaries will be opening in upcoming months.)

“Social equity” dispensaries are those that have specifically been placed in communities that have had a higher rate of past marijuana use resulting in arrests and imprisonment. This includes arrests for more serious crimes that resulted in jail time for lesser crimes due to plea bargain negotiations. These folks have all been released.

As if 192 more “social equity” dispensaries are not bad enough, Pritzker is fine with marijuana delivery – like pizzas. As long as it’s regulated. That’s a buzz word for taxed.

“At first blush, without the data in front of me, I think that as long as it is regulated, as long as we make sure that the person who is ordering it gets it, and that they’re legally allowed to, then it would seem to me like the same as somebody coming into a store,” Pritzker said, according to ABC News.

The dramatic increase in child cannabis use since 2017 coincides with a wave of decriminalization and commercialization in the US. Marijuana edibles and vaping products have been found to be the most used and are actually marketed in ways attractive to children. Although they are perceived as harmless (i.e. “medical” marijuana), this is not the case.

And adolescent marijuana exposure cases have risen since 2011 and skyrocketing from 2017 to 2020.

Since marijuana use is already on the steady rise among adolescents, making the delivery system easier will only elevate the problem. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that adolescent use of marijuana today means increased use of harder drugs when they are adults; it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know that this will hamper tomorrow’s job growth because it hampers tomorrow’s workers. And it doesn’t take a moral scholar to know this will lead to breaking up the traditional family even more in a society that has been on the fast-track to begin with.  It does take a governor to deny these things, though, and then happily double down to accelerate the citizens’ misery. And we have a governor who does this well.

Marijuana and alcohol abuse are at record highs, reports the federal Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The substance abuse trend skyrocketed during the pandemic, and the hike only continues. By the end of 2022, the marijuana industry’s expected worth is $32 billion, and its popularity increases.

While the CDC can observe the ever-escalating substance abuse and consequent devastation, they cannot discern its root cause. Yes, surface level causes are identifiable: the boredom, loneliness, fear, anxiety, depression of quarantine. But the root cause is much deeper than that.

Substance abuse is a godless society’s natural consequence. Everyone strives for fulfillment and happiness, choosing between being filled with wine or the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).  And a godless society chooses the former.

But fulfillment and happiness are not found at the bottom of a bottle, in a puff of smoke or in a syringe. Rather, substance abuse quickly deteriorates lives. Marijuana is linked to depression, suicide, anxiety, and permanent brain damage. In terms of alcohol,  The Harvard Gazette predicts massive increases in cancers and diseases from excessive drinking during the pandemic. What happiness or fulfillment is there in escaping reality, only to come back on a hangover, permanently damaged?

Sadly, substance abuse is the closest a secular, materialist society will ever get to fulfillment and joy. They hold everything to be the result of evolution, the impersonal force of chance, mere material without a god to create it. But if there is no God and everything is only matter, then thoughts and emotions are merely a chemical fizz. If there is no God and everything is only matter, then you are only a byproduct without purpose.

In the cold void of secular materialism, there is no value; Any value a person possesses is subjectively imparted and entirely imaginary. If God does not exist, if everything is indeed meaningless, then substance abuse is expected, and the closest thing to fulfillment and joy. After all, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’” (1 Corinthians 15:32)

In Christianity, however, real fulfillment and joy is found, and substance abuse is not necessary. Christians believe that God personally crafted the world and handed it to man, imparting the teleological purpose of domination and glorification. Furthermore, God providentially sustains everything in the cosmos, intimately caring for the most minute details. The immensity of God’s love is baffling:

“What is man that you are mindful of him? And the son of man that you visit him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands, you have put all things under his feet.” (Psalm 8)

In God there is clear purpose, boundless love, and a personal God looking out for your wellbeing. When people are filled with the Spirit and find value, joy, and hope in God they are never disappointed.

Written by William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn
This article was originally published by the Wall Street Journal on 10/07/2022

If President Biden had really wanted to do something about the problems facing our cities and states—rising crime, addiction and overdose deaths—he might have done something to prevent illegal drug use. Instead, he chose to minimize the dangers of drug use by granting pardons for criminals convicted of marijuana possession under federal law. In so doing, Mr. Biden has sent the country the wrong signal at the wrong time.

IF YOU HAVE TIME, there are a large number of marijuana bills that are being heard in committee and many of them have no witness slips filed in opposition. Note: Most are OPPOSE, but not all.

It appears that state lawmakers have decided to go for broke. Much of what’s below was included in the original language of the “recreational” marijuana bill, but was removed to gather the votes needed to pass the bill, with the intention of adding it at a later time. They are intent on making a bad situation even worse.

We are very grateful that so many have taken time to file witness slips in the past few weeks. We have heard that they are having an impact.

Thank you for doing what you can!

Instructions:

-Fill out your name, address, email and phone number. Leave everything else blank or put self.
-Highlight “Opponent or Proponent” and “Record of Appearance Only.”
-Check Terms of Agreement and click Create Slip.

HB 144: a county or municipality may issue temporary event licenses that will allow for the sale and consumption of cannabis or cannabis-infused products and for the sale of cannabis paraphernalia at such temporary events, clubs, or tours. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 312: establishes rules pertaining to the issuance of cannabis delivery licenses only to qualified “social equity applicants.” OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 314: A county may not permit the sale of adult-use cannabis in any unincorporated area that is within 1.5 miles of a municipality that has prohibited the sale of cannabis. SUPPORT  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 715: “Bring Your Own Cannabis” to a public location. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 3306: Increases square footage for growing facilities, increases number of grower licenses, removes language that growers be 1,500 feet from each other; withholds  Cannabis Cultivation Privilege Tax for 2 years after license is awarded. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 4097: Allows more than one license per grower, adds 60 additional licenses, withholds  Cannabis Cultivation Privilege Tax for 2 years after license is awarded. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 4144: allows an applicant to resubmit information that was deficient in his original grower license due to COVID. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 4194: as a condition of a marijuana cultivation center’s license renewal, it must set aside a certain amount of THC oil to be made available to infuser organizations. (THC is the psychoactive ingredient that make a person high.) OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 4195: allows up to 3 growers, an infuser organization, a cultivation center, and a dispensing organization to share a premises. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 4298: a Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization License to an applicant that is 51% owned and controlled by at least one qualified individual with a disability. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 4309: 40% of ancillary services of a cultivation center or dispensing organization must be certified under the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 4318: removes requirement that an adult-use cannabis container in a vehicle be odor-proof and child resistant. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 5123: any person under 21 who uses cannabis or is in possession of cannabis is guilty of a Class A Misdemeanor rather than a civil law violation.  SUPPORT  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 5523: a county or municipality may issue temporary event licenses that will allow for the sale and consumption of cannabis or cannabis-infused products and for the sale of cannabis paraphernalia at such temporary events, clubs, or tours. OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 5570: establishes rules pertaining to the issuance of cannabis delivery licenses only to qualified “social equity applicants.” OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

HB 5580: fees will be waived for “social equity applicants.” OPPOSE  Click HERE to file a witness slip.

Two years after legalizing “recreational” marijuana, some foolish lawmakers are sprinting ahead with legislation to allow for Illinoisans 21 and older to grow up to 5 marijuana plants in their home. The bill number is HB 4799 and is sponsored by Carol Ammons (D-Urbana), Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), Kambium Buckner (D-Chicago) and Aaron Ortiz (D-Chicago).

There is ample evidence to demonstrate that home grows are a recipe for disaster. The state of Colorado, which legalized pot in 2012, is a prime example of bad marijuana policy. We often use Colorado as our reference point because they have the best data in the nation when it comes to drugs, thanks to the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

Colorado allows marijuana to be grown in homes. As a result, foreign drug cartels have cashed in and the black-market is thriving. And with that, comes more crime.

In many cases, high-end homes in the suburbs are purchased for cash. They are gutted and millions of dollars worth of marijuana plants are grown. It’s untaxed and unregulated. Because the black-market is thriving in Colorado, it’s also easier and cheaper for students to obtain the drug. (Click here to access their latest report.)

Home grows have become the new “gray market” in Colorado because it’s virtually impossible to regulate what people do in their homes.

Marijuana-related calls to the Illinois Poison Control Center have increased since legalization. Do we want more accidental poisonings?

• • 2019 – 487 calls
  • 2020 – 743 calls
  • 2021 – 855 calls

HB 4799 is scheduled for a hearing in the Executive Committee on Wednesday, February 16th.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to file a witness slip in opposition to HB 4799.

-Fill out your name, address, email and phone number. Leave everything else blank or put self.
-Highlight “Opponent” and “Record of Appearance Only.”
-Check Terms of Agreement and click Create Slip.

MORE ACTION:  Click HERE to email your state representative to urge him/her to oppose HB 4799.

The true impact of “recreational” marijuana on our communities is just starting to be learned, so why are we rushing ahead to expand this experiment? The negative consequences of legalizing recreational marijuana will be felt for generations.

Thank you!
Your willingness to fill out witness slips are making a huge difference!

It’s truly hard to believe that “some” state lawmakers want what’s best for Illinois. Tragically, “some,” refers to the majority in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.

You know the saying that is often meant for children, “Give ‘em an inch and they’ll take a mile.” Well, it also applies to liberal ‘big government’ activists and power-hungry lawmakers.

We have seen it many times. But let me refresh your memory and give you one prime example.

In the 80’s, homosexual activists wanted to be left alone and not discriminated against. Sounded fair enough. So they got lawmakers to amend the Illinois Human Rights Act. And that opened Pandora’s Box.

In the 90’s, homosexual activists claimed that all they needed was a domestic partnership registry so that they could visit their partners in hospitals. They got what they asked for and before the ink was dry, they suddenly needed an upgrade to same-sex “civil unions” so their joint possessions would be treated like a married couple’s possessions. They got what they asked for and before the ink was dry, they were fighting to redefine the institution of marriage.

While that tragic day will go down in history, it still wasn’t enough.

In the years that followed, the homosexual agenda morphed into the LGBTQIA+ agenda in which they vigorously pursued legislation for hate crime laws, bans on counselors from treating minors who struggle with same-sex attraction and gender confusion, mandates for schools to teach impressionable students in K-12 about the “roles and contributions” of homosexuals and opposite-sex impersonators.

Furthermore, they joined forces with feminists in an effort to pass the federal Equal Rights Amendment, which, if ratified, will remove all gender distinctions in over 800 federal laws, irreparably hurting women. They now demand the Equality Act, which will force employers and workers to conform to new sexual norms or lose their businesses and jobs. Check out our Springfield Bill Tracker for even more.

You get the point and now I’ll get to mine.

Lawmakers have no qualms that they’ve legalized a very addictive drug, high potency marijuana, with no medical value. But that was only the beginning. Here’s what they hope to pass into law for 2020.

HB 4706 (Rep. Sonya Harper D-Chicago) Bring Your Own cannabis – allows county boards to license and regulate businesses for on-site marijuana use.

HB 4889 (Rep. Michael Zalewski D-Riverside) allows for advertising and marketing marijuana products in newspapers.

HB 4339 (Rep. David Welter R-Morris) allows electronic advertising and marketing of marijuana. David Welter was one of 3 Republicans who voted with the House Democrats to legalize recreational marijuana.

HB 5274 (Rep. Sonya Harper D-Chicago) allows for marijuana to be delivered to residences and other locations.

HB 5352 (Rep. Marcus Evans D-Chicago) allows expungement of criminal records for ANY AMOUNT of marijuana.

HB 5472 (Rep. Theresa Mah D-Chicago) allows licenses to sell marijuana at temporary events.

Though many churches and businesses have been forced to close, Governor JB Pritzker has classified liquor and marijuana retail stores as “essential,” and as a result, sales are at a record high. But so is domestic abuse and suicide. Domestic abuse in Chicago is up 18%  and suicide hotline calls have increased 800 percent. One Illinois suicide hotline does not have enough staff to field all the calls.

Does it strike you that they are not acting in the best interest of Illinois families? Can you imagine what this will do to our state if they continue to have their way?

Thankfully, the “stay in place” order prevents lawmakers from being in session, which is extremely good for Illinois families. But that won’t stop them from pushing a broad progressive agenda that will incrementally destroy our state, if we don’t speak out.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your state leaders. Or better yet, Click HERE to get their district office phone number and give them a call. Urge them to stop pushing for Schedule 1 drugs to flow freely in Illinois. Lawmakers need to hear from everyone. Please email/call today!

If you appreciate the work and ministry of IFI, please consider a tax-deductible donation to sustain our endeavors.  It does make a difference.

What was Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton thinking when she purchased recreational marijuana in Chicago on the first day of its legal sales in Illinois? Does she not understand that as a public official she is setting a reckless and foolish example, especially for children and teens?

Illinois policy makers continue to send a dangerous message to our young people. First, they called marijuana “medicine.” Now, they call it “recreational.” Do you know of any other drug that’s used for both medicine and recreation? The hoax has worked.

Gone are the days of “this is your brain on drugs.” Instead, public officials like Stratton are celebrating drug use by welcoming the marijuana industry to communities throughout the state. Their feckless example will mislead citizens, old and young, into a diminished understanding of the dangers of drug use until it affects them personally. As the perception of risk plummets, drug use (and addictions) will climb.

Not only have lawmakers failed to do their due diligence before passing this marijuana law, but they also failed to heed the compelling research that indicates how regular use of marijuana affects young people, including an increased risk of psychiatric illnesses and a permanent loss of IQ points.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, and religious leaders would do well to counter Stratton’s irresponsible example by returning to the sensible message, “just say no to drugs.”

Myths and Misconceptions

There has been much talk about the so-called “equity” part of the Illinois Recreational Law. The legislative sponsors and their allies in the media are celebrating how this new law will supposedly help create a “clean slate” by righting the wrongs of the so-called “war on drugs,” which they believe disproportionately impacted those who chose to use or deal drugs.  When Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law, he proclaimed it to be the most “equity-centric in the nation.”

The social equity portion of this new law is so important to Illinois regressives that on New Year’s eve, Gov. Pritzker granted more than 11,000 pardons, clearing marijuana misdemeanor offenses from people’s records. This is only the first wave of such expungements, as it is estimated that 116,000 convictions involving 30 grams or less of marijuana are to be erased.

Is this a good thing? As Christians, we believe in second chances and redemption. Proponents rightly point out that erasing drug-based criminal records will make it easier for thousands of Illinoisans to get jobs, housing, guns* and loans. Regressives want us to believe that they are helping victims of an unjust system that unfairly targeted users. But is that really the truth?

Back in May 2016, retired longtime Cook County State’s Attorney Ed Ronkowski wrote an exclusive for IFI pointing out that “first time cannabis users don’t go to jail or prison.” He goes on to explain that that even the third and fourth time offenders don’t go to jail or prison. It is “only after the fifth arrest will judges start giving out jail or prison because probation did not work.“ Mr. Ronkowski points out that (in 2014), only 1.4 percent  of Illinois’ prison population was a result of a marijuana violation.

Progressives and the media are not telling you that the vast majority of expungements are being given to repeat offenders. Furthermore, according to Mr. Ronkowski, many of that 1.4 percent are serving time with a marijuana conviction on their record because they plea-bargained down from a more serious offense.

And there’s more to this destructive law. Lawmakers have made sure that those who have been in the illegitimate drug selling business be offered low interest loans to open their own “legitimate” drug-selling businesses.

What else are they not telling you? State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) and State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) want us to believe that Illinois’ new marijuana law is cutting edge, a model for the nation. They promised their colleagues in the General Assembly that they would institute a responsible cap on THC levels that are available for purchase. But even after “legal” marijuana sales have begun, no cap has been instituted by any of our state agencies. This is as foolish as it is dangerous. High concentrate marijuana products are highly addictive and are linked to higher rates of psychosis.  (Read more HERE.)

Take ACTION: Click HERE to contact your state lawmakers to demand that they either repeal this marijuana law or cap the THC level on marijuana products to 15 percent or less. In parts of Europe, marijuana with 15 percent or higher THC levels are considered hard drugs such as heroine and cocaine, due to its highly addictive nature. This is a minimum safegaurd for this foolish law.

*The federal government still classifies marijuana as an illegal Schedule 1 Drug. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says it is a dangerous intoxicant that has “a high potential for abuse.” Regardless of Illinois’ new recreational marijuana law, federal law still prohibits the sale, possession, purchase, and use of marijuana plants and products. According to USACarry.com:

Federal law, supported by administrative orders and court rulings, prohibits marijuana users from owning, possessing, or buying firearms. It also prohibits anyone from selling or giving firearms to a person they know or suspect to be a drug user or even the owner of a medical marijuana card.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) warns would be gun owners “the use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.”

Ironically, while marijuana use clearly disqualifies citizens from gun ownership, Illinois’ expungement of criminal drug offenses may actually qualify repeat offenders.

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There are various situations and circumstances that contribute to the growing problem of homelessness in America. According to Pastor Phil Kwiatkowski, president of Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, the factor that most often leads to homelessness is drug use and addiction.  With this reality in mind, why would anyone think that legalizing recreational marijuana is a good idea?

In this video, Pastor Kwiatkowski relates his experience with the connection between homelessness and drug use, specifically marijuana, through the stories of the teens and adults who have come to Pacific Garden Mission to find help and hope. Despite what legal weed proponents would have you believe, marijuana is addictive and it most certainly is a gateway drug that leads to the use of heroin, cocaine, and other “hard” drugs.

Please take  15 minutes to watch and listen to Pastor Kwiatowki’s concerns about legalizing marijuana in Illinois:

Take ACTION: Please click HERE to send a message to your state senator and state representative to ask them to reject the push for legal marijuana. Respectfully request they do not legalize marijuana in Illinois. Additionally, please call your lawmakers to make sure they know that many people oppose this disastrous policy. The Capitol switchboard number is (217) 782-2000.

Read more:

Thinking Biblically About Recreational Marijuana

Medical Doctor from Peoria Opposes Legal Pot

ER Doc Says “Recreational” Pot Has Ruined My Town

IFI Resource Page on Marijuana

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

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Written by Walter E. Williams

Ten states and Washington, D.C., have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Twenty-two other states, along with U.S. territories Puerto Rico and Guam, allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes. Let’s examine some hidden issues about marijuana use. Before we start, permit me to state my values about medical or recreational use of any drug. We each own ourselves. If we choose to take chances with substances that can ruin our health, lead to death and otherwise destroy our own lives, that’s our right. But we do not have a right to harm others in the process of harming ourselves.

Alex Berenson is a graduate of Yale University, with degrees in history and economics. He delivered a speech last month at Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C., on the hidden dangers of marijuana use. He told his audience, “Almost everything that you think you know about the health effects of cannabis, almost everything that advocates and the media have told you for a generation, is wrong.”

The active ingredient in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Marijuana is most commonly prescribed for pain, but it’s rarely tested against other pain relief drugs, such as ibuprofen. Last July, a large four-year study of Australian patients with chronic pain showed that cannabis use was associated with greater pain over time. Marijuana, like alcohol, is too weak as a painkiller for people with terminal cancer. They need opiates. Berenson said, “Even cannabis advocates, like Rob Kampia, who co-founded the Marijuana Policy Project … acknowledge that they have always viewed medical marijuana laws mostly as a way to protect recreational users.”

Marijuana legalization advocates sometimes argue that its use reduces opiate use. That is untrue. Berenson said, “The United States and Canada, which are the countries that have the most opioid use, also have by far the worst problem with … cannabis.” Marijuana carries not only a devastating physical health risk but also mental health dangers. A 2017 National Academy of Medicine study found that “cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use, the greater the risk. … Regular cannabis use is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.” Also, a paper in the American Journal of Psychiatry last year showed that people who used cannabis in 2001 were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later, even after adjusting for other potential risks.

Something else that’s not given much attention is that cannabis today is much more potent than it was in the 1970s, when most marijuana contained less than 2 percent THC. Today marijuana routinely contains 20 to 25 percent THC, as a result of sophisticated farming and cloning techniques. As such, it produces a stronger and quicker high. Berenson said that the difference between yesterday’s marijuana and today’s is like the difference between “near beer and a martini.”

Berenson cited several studies and other findings showing a relationship between marijuana use and violence and crime. According to a 2007 paper in The Medical Journal of Australia on 88 felons who had committed homicide during psychotic episodes, almost two-thirds reported misusing cannabis. A 2012 paper in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence examined a federal survey of more than 9,000 adolescents and found that marijuana use was associated with a doubling of domestic violence. The first four states to legalize marijuana for recreational use were Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon. In 2013, those states combined had about 450 murders and 30,300 aggravated assaults. In 2017, they had almost 620 murders and 38,000 aggravated assaults — an increase of 37 percent for murders and 25 percent for aggravated assaults, far greater than the national increase, even after accounting for differences in population growth.

One of the problems with legalization of marijuana is that it gives social sanction to its use. A preferable strategy would be simple decriminalization, which does not imply social sanction. Moreover, where there is no criminal activity associated with any drug usage, it should be treated as a medical problem, as opposed to a criminal problem.

This article was initially published on Creators.com

Legalizing high potency marijuana, more gambling, LGBT history in schools and taking aim at Illinois’ Parental Notification of Abortion law. Incoming Governor J.B. Pritzker and his fellow Democrats in the General Assembly will have the votes to make their agenda happen. Yet, some Republican leaders say Conservatives should be quiet on social issues.

Released by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police

New data shows a troubling increase in teen-agers’ use of marijuana in Illinois, and a significant increase in vaping by teen-agers. Those are two major results from the second annual survey of School Resource Officers, who are police officers with primary responsibilities in schools throughout Illinois.

In the first survey, nearly 60 percent of respondents said that marijuana was the primary drug facing schools. Then, 30 percent of respondents had seen an increase in marijuana-related incidents. Since then, new reports show about an 8 percent increase in the number of school resource officers that say more students are abusing the drug.

In October of this year, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, the School Resource Officers Association and Illinois Partners/Educating Voices, conducted its second annual statewide multi-disciplinary study on the impact of marijuana on the health and safety of Illinois residents. More than 100 of the state’s School Resource Officers answered survey questions and recorded a variety of case examples of drug-related incidents that occurred in their schools.

“The recent increase of marijuana use in schools is very troubling,” said Jonathan Kaplan, President of the Illinois School Resource Officers Association. Kaplan is an SRO with the Belvidere Police Department. “Marijuana affects more than just a teen’s developing brain and health. Frequent use of the drug can have long-term effects on a teen’s life goals.”

The 2018 survey also indicated that of the 104 respondents, 75 reported handling at least one to five marijuana issues a month. With usage rates among teens steadily rising, some law enforcement officials believe the issue has worsened because of the laws regulated at the state level.  Illinois recently decriminalized possession of 10 grams of marijuana or less. With that, it is found that it has been increasingly difficult for adults to convince teens that marijuana use is dangerous.

According to a study that was done by the University of Michigan, teens were more likely to use marijuana or use a vaping device than they were to smoke cigarettes. Significantly, the Illinois coalition collected similar data in their second survey. The data shows that the recent trend found to be most alarming to officers, school staff and personnel is the uptick in vaping device use among teens.

Of the survey responses received, there was a significant increase in vaping device use reported by school resources officers compared to last year. Last year, five out of 53 officers reported vaping devices as major issues on their campuses compared to 22 out of 49 reported this year. Multiple officers replied that most of the marijuana incidents encountered have come from liquid  marijuana used in vaporizers.

“We have found that in many cases, students are now utilizing vaping devices as a vehicle for ingesting tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),” Kaplan said. “This trend is very concerning, as most “normal” varieties of liquid marijuana have upwards of 90% (or more) THC content, as opposed to THC content levels of 12-35% that are found in typical marijuana strains.”

Dr. Kirk Moberg, Executive Medical Director of UnityPoint Health Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, added: “This is especially concerning given the results of a recent study showing that vaporized THC resulted in higher blood levels of THC, greater cognitive impairment, and a more intense subjective drug experience than equal amounts of THC in smoked products.  The efficiency of this delivery system is worrisome as it increases the exposure of THC to our young people at a time when brain development is still in process and the risk of addiction is greatest.”

One School Resource Office wrote: “Students [were] caught using THC vape in bathroom. [The students were] searched by admin and found to be in possession of THC vape. Upon questioning and admin check of phone, one student admitted to selling cannabis, vapes and THC liquid to multiple students. This led to several other students being questioned and charged with possession of THC vape devices and THC oil inside of the school.”

End-of-Year Challenge

As you may know, thanks to amazingly generous Illinois Family Institute partners, we have an end-of-year matching challenge of $100,000 to help support our ongoing work to educate and activate Illinois’ Christian community.

Please consider helping us reach this goal!  Your tax-deductible contribution will help us stand strong in 2019!  To make a credit card donation over the phone, please call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.  You can also send a gift to:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, Illinois 60477

Written by Erin Philen

Many states are rushing to legalize powerful recreational marijuana, but they’re running headlong into mental-health issues that should stop them in their tracks. Thanks to recreational marijuana legalization, we are steadily deciding as a nation that widespread availability of marijuana is worth the mental-health risk to our youth, the medical evidence for which is growing stronger every year.

Marijuana is obviously not a new trend, and for the many adults who used it during their adolescence, there seems to be no lasting damage. That’s one reason why, over the past 50 years, the effort to legalize and normalize marijuana use has steadily grown into a movement that has changed minds and laws. So why make marijuana use a big deal now? After all, marijuana, compared to narcotic and psychedelic drugs, seems relatively harmless. However, the big issue here is that marijuana is much more potent now. Today’s marijuana has been hybridized by specialty farmers into an incredibly powerful mind-altering drug. A study labeled the “Functional Consequences of Marijuana Use in Adolescents” found that the average THC content of marijuana has increased from an estimated one percent in the 1960s, to just under three percent in the 1990s, to almost 13 percent today. Recent studies found that adolescent marijuana users demonstrated poorer performance on tests of attention, verbal learning/memory, sequencing, and psychomotor speed compared to non-using adolescents.

At least until the early or mid-20s, “the brain is still under construction,” says Staci Gruber, PhD, Harvard neuroscientist and director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core. During this period of neurodevelopment, the brain is thought to be particularly sensitive to damage from drug exposure.

The frontal cortex — the region critical to planning, judgment, decision-making and personality — is one of the last areas to fully develop, Gruber says. She has further shown that these commonly high levels of THC permanently degrade the brains’ “white matter,” which helps enable communication among neurons. This rewiring has been linked to major mental health issues including anxiety and depression.

Even so, state governments continue to normalize marijuana’s use and provide easier and easier access to it. As a result, marijuana has become the most frequently used drug by adolescents in the U.S., with statistics showing that 15% of adolescents have tried marijuana by 8^th grade and 45% report use by 12^thgrade, as published by the Journal of Drug Issues in 2015. The rates among high school students are increasing, with daily use the highest it has been in the past 30 years.

Of course, most states’ marijuana laws make its use illegal for those under 21, but, just like alcohol, the prohibition hasn’t prevented underage kids from getting their hands on it.

State lobbyists and political libertarians have worked hard to give recreational marijuana a positive reputation, gradually spreading its influence across the United States as its legalization movement expands, riding in on the white horse of the health benefits provided by THC marijuana’s therapeutic cousin, the non-psychoactive forms of medical cannabis.

So, why are states ignoring the growing body of evidence that recreational marijuana has long-term damaging effects on young brains and instead focusing their anger on the relatively benign nicotine addiction potential of smokeless vaping among the young?

It’s simple. The “sin tax” revenues that will come into government coffers from recreational marijuana sales, just like gambling revenues from state lotteries, will be significant.

That may be true, of course, but if lawmakers think that this tradeoff is worth damaging young brains and jeopardizing America’s future, they’re the ones that must be smoking something!

Erin Philen is an undergraduate student at the Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism at the University of Southern California.

This article was originally published at AmericanThinker.com

Written by Pauline Anderson

Cannabis use directly increases the risk for psychosis in teens, new research suggests.

A large prospective study of teens shows that “in adolescents, cannabis use is harmful” with respect to psychosis risk, study author Patricia J. Conrod, PhD, professor of psychiatry, University of Montreal, Canada, told Medscape Medical News.

The effect was observed for the entire cohort. This finding, said Conrod, means that all young cannabis users face psychosis risk, not just those with a family history of schizophrenia or a biological factor that increases their susceptibility to the effects of cannabis.

“The whole population is prone to have this risk,” she said.

The study was published online June 6 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Rigorous Causality Test

Increasingly, jurisdictions across North America are moving toward cannabis legalization. In Canada, a marijuana law is set to be implemented later this year.

With such changes, there’s a need to understand whether cannabis use has a causal role in the development of psychiatric diseases, such as psychosis.

To date, the evidence with respect to causality has been limited, as studies typically assess psychosis symptoms at only a single follow-up and rely on analytic models that might confound intraindividual processes with initial between-person differences.

Determining causality is especially important during adolescence, a period when both psychosis and cannabis use typically start.

For the study, researchers used random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs), which Conrod described as “a very novel analytic strategy.”

RI-CLPMs use a multilevel approach to test for within-person differences that inform on the extent to which an individual’s increase in cannabis use precedes an increase in that individual’s psychosis symptoms, and vice versa.

The approach provides the most rigorous test of causal predominance between two outcomes, said Conrod.

“One of the problems in trying to assess a causal relationship between cannabis and mental health outcomes is the chicken or egg issue. Is it that people who are prone to mental health problems are more attracted to cannabis, or is it something about the onset of cannabis use that influences the acceleration of psychosis symptoms?” she said.

The study included 3720 adolescents from the Co-Venture cohort, which represents 76% of all grade 7 students attending 31 secondary schools in the greater Montreal area.

For 4 years, students completed an annual Web-based survey in which they provided self-reports of past-year cannabis use and psychosis symptoms.

Such symptoms were assessed with the Adolescent Psychotic-Like Symptoms Screener; frequency of cannabis use was assessed with a six-point scale (0 indicated never, and 5 indicated every day).

Survey information was confidential, and there were no consequences of reporting cannabis use.

“Once you make those guarantees, students are quite comfortable about reporting, and they become used to doing it,” said Conrod.

Marijuana Use Highly Prevalent

The first time point occurred at a mean age of 12.8 years. Twelve months separated each assessment. In total, 86.7% and 94.4% of participants had a minimum of two time points out of four on psychosis symptoms and cannabis use, respectively.

The study revealed statistically significant positive cross-lagged associations, at every time point, from cannabis use to psychosis symptoms reported 12 months later, over and above the random intercepts of cannabis use and psychosis symptoms (between-person differences). The statistical significances varied from P < .001 to P < .05.

Cannabis use, in any given year, predicted an increase in psychosis symptoms a year later, said Conrod.

This type of analysis is more reliable than biological measures, such as blood tests, said Conrod.

“Biological measures aren’t sensitive enough to the infrequent and low level of use that we tend to see in young adolescents,” she said.

In light of these results, Conrod called for increased access by high school students to evidence-based cannabis prevention programs.

Such programs exist, but there are no systematic efforts to make them available to high school students across the country, she said.

“It’s extremely important that governments dramatically step up their efforts around access to evidence-based cannabis prevention programs,” she said.

Currently, marijuana use in teens is “very prevalent,” she said. Surveys suggest that about 30% of older high school students in the Canadian province of Ontario use cannabis.

“I’d like to see governments begin to forge some new innovative policy that will address this level of use in the underaged,” Conrad said.

Reducing access to and demand for cannabis among youth could lead to reductions in risk for major psychiatric conditions, she said.

A limitation of the study was that cannabis use and psychosis symptoms were self-reported and were not confirmed by clinicians. However, as the authors note, previous work has shown positive predictive values for such self-reports of up to 80%.

Unique Research

Commenting on the findings for Medscape Medical News, Robert Milin, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist, addiction psychiatrist, and associate professor of psychiatry, University of Ottawa, said the study is at “the vanguard” of major research investigating cannabis use in adolescents over time that is being carried out by that National Institute on Drug Abuse in the United States.

“The study is at the forefront because it is specifically looking to measure psychosis symptoms and cannabis use in adolescents, and the model they are using strengthens the study,” said Milin.

That model uses “refined measures or improved measures to look at causality, vs what we call temporal associations,” he said.

The fact that the study investigated teens starting at age 13 years is unique, said Milin. In most related studies, the starting age of the participants is 15 or 16 years.

He emphasized that the study examined psychosis symptoms and not psychotic disorder, although having psychotic symptoms increases the risk for a psychotic disorder.

The study was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr Conrod and Dr Milin have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

JAMA Psychiatry. Published online June 6, 2018. Abstract

Written by Alex Chediak

Americans are becoming more permissive on moral issues like smoking pot, same sex relations, divorce, pornography, even polygamy. That’s according to Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, which was conducted May 1-10 and released this week. The trends are the interesting part.

Smoking Pot

In 2018, support for smoking pot was at 65 percent. That’s really high (no pun intended) when you consider that less than half the country was supportive less than a decade ago. It’s not a perfect comparison, because the question was asked a bit differently in previous Gallup surveys (morally acceptable vs. should be made legal). Still, there seems to be a correlation between the legalization of recreational pot and people finding its usage to be morally acceptable.

Is it just young people? No. Even 58 percent of those 55 and older think smoking pot is morally acceptable. It’s higher (77%) for younger adults (18-34). But the split is even greater when you look at religiosity. Among those who attend church every week, only 41 percent find pot usage to be okay. Among those who seldom or never go to church, it’s 75 percent. Political ideology makes a big difference, too. Among conservatives, support is at 47 percent. Among liberals, 81 percent.

Same Sex Relations

Two-thirds of respondents (67%) said that gay or lesbian relationships are morally acceptable. I wish Gallup had broken this question down by religiosity and political ideology, but apparently they didn’t. Support is up from 40 percent in 2001. It was 48 percent in 2008, when Obama first ran for President. And 54 percent in 2012 when Obama was reelected — having “evolved” on this issue, like his constituents.

Sexual Ethics

Support for divorce has risen from 59 percent in 2001 to 76 percent today. Support for having a child outside of marriage has risen from 45 percent in 2002 to 65 percent today.

Pornography is now considered morally acceptable by 43 percent of adults — up from 30 percent in 2011. That’s a quick increase and one that does not bode well, particularly in the wake of the #MeToo movement. I would hope a renewed interest in the dignity of women would include a consideration that porn cheapens and degrades sex, typically through the objectification of women.

Even more bizarre: Polygamy support now stands at 19 percent. That’s up from 7 percent in 2010. In fact, from 2003 to 2010 there was no increase in support for polygamy. But since 2010, it’s shot up big time. Think of five random people in a grocery store. One of them thinks it’s okay for a man or woman to have more than one spouse.

Many would say that support for polygamy is a logical extension of the Supreme Court’s 2014 Obergefell ruling. We’ve also seen it popularized — or rather, glamorized — on television. In practice, though, polygamy is horrific for women and children.

Sex between teenagers is another issue on which support is still in the minority, but rising rapidly. In 2013, almost one in three (32%) thought sex between teenagers was morally acceptable. Just 5 years later it’s up to 42 percent.

A glimmer of hope: Infidelity is still very unpopular — meaning that concepts like “open marriages” and “polyamory” are not gaining traction. Only one in ten (10%) think it’s morally acceptable for a married man and woman to have an affair. That’s really low when you consider that 76 percent say it’s okay to divorce, 69 percent are okay with sex between two unmarried adults, and 19 percent are okay with having a second spouse.

Suicide

Support for doctor-assisted suicide is at 54 percent. That’s high, but a small increase from 49 percent support in 2003. This one has gone up and down over the years. But support for suicide in general has been rising more steadily and rapidly. In 2003, 14 percent thought suicide was morally acceptable. Today, 20 percent say it is.

Don’t think of that as a 6 percent increase. Think of it as an almost 50 percent increase, because 20 percent is almost 50 percent greater than 14 percent. It’s a significant increase, but a necessary inference from a growing materialistic mindset. If all we are is blobs of flesh, come up from the primordial soup by a meaningless, naturalistic process, taking one’s life is just another act of personal autonomy.

Our Response

Christians have a worldview that promotes human flourishing. We recognize that every person is made in the image of God. Therefore every person has dignity and worth. The God who made us knows how our bodies and minds work best. Recreational drug usage is destructive to the body and the mind. Sexual intimacy is meant to be an expression of lifelong commitment between a husband and wife.

Divorce, pornography, polygamy — these things are destructive to individuals, families and society as a whole. As the gospel is clearly taught in churches throughout the country, may God be pleased to awaken more people to a saving relationship with Him and to the goodness of a biblically ordered life.

Dr. Alex Chediak (Ph.D., U.C. Berkeley) is a professor and the author of  Thriving at College (Tyndale House, 2011), a roadmap for how students can best navigate the challenges of their college years. His latest book is Beating the College Debt Trap. Learn more about him at www.alexchediak.com or follow him on Twitter (@chediak).

This article originally posted at Stream.org.

Recently, a Colorado expert on the consequences of legalizing recreational marijuana spoke to groups in Bloomington, Pontiac, and Naperville, in addition to doing media interviews with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson on WIND radio, Ken and Deb in the Morning on WDLM radio, a somewhat acrimonious interview with Sam Wood on WJBC radio and a newspaper interview with Derek Beigh of The Pantagraph.

What Jo McGuire reports from Colorado is truly shocking. Illinois residents must understand the consequences of legalization and contact their lawmakers to oppose it.

Recreational marijuana has affected every part of Colorado’s culture: schools and increased youth use, poisonings, car fatalities, hospital admissions – all of which we have reported on. But what’s little known, and Big Marijuana wants to keep it that way, is the effect it’s having on neighborhoods, the environment, and homelessness.

In Colorado, in order to accomplish their goals, Big Marijuana lied, claiming it would do away with the Black Market and solve Colorado’s budget crisis. Sound familiar?  But the Black Market is doing better than ever.  In fact, they’re doing so well, cartels now purchase million dollar homes for cash in beautiful gated communities, gut them and start growing pot. Incredibly large amounts of marijuana are shipped elsewhere, including Mexico. And none of it is taxed, which was also their promise.

Like Colorado, Illinois’ bill allows for 5 plants per adult. Home grows, she said, are impossible to monitor plus it created another large non-taxable market referred to as the “grey market.” Home growers have discovered they too can make money selling it cheaper than the taxed and regulated pot dispensaries (which outnumber Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Walmart by double). Furthermore, explosions from butane extraction labs set up in these homes to produce concentrates are common.

Watch Jo McGuire’s full presentation here — and please share this information widely:

Worldview Conference May 5th

Worldview has never been so important than it is today!  The contemporary culture is shaping the next generation’s understanding of faith far more than their faith is shaping their understanding of culture. The annual IFI Worldview Conference is a phenomenal opportunity to reverse that trend. This year we are featuring well-know apologist John Stonestreet on Saturday, May 5th at Medinah Baptist Church. Mr. Stonestreet is s a dynamic speaker and the award-winning author of “Making Sense of Your World” and his newest offer: “A Practical Guide to Culture.”

Click HERE to learn more or to register!