Tag Archives: Alex Berenson

Smokescreen and The Dangerous Truth about Today’s Marijuana

In January, 2014, recreational marijuana stores opened in Colorado. We formed Parents Opposed to Pot in mid-2014, “Bursting the Bubble of Marijuana Hype.” In 2014, Johnny Stack first used marijuana.  He died by suicide only 5 years later, a victim of mental illness caused by high-potency marijuana.  His mother, Laura Stack, traces how it happened in The Dangerous Truth About Today’s Marijuana.”

Laura Stack, professional speaker, author and founder of Productivity Pro, wrote the book to warn parents about today’s marijuana.   She formed the non-profit, Johnny’s Ambassadors, and started the annual “Stop Dabbing” Walk in September. Continue reading Smokescreen and The Dangerous Truth about Today’s Marijuana

Washington legislators propose curb on high potency marijuana concentrates

A bipartisan group of 22 Washington state legislators introduced a bill to curb the potency of marijuana concentrates.

Citing concerns about the connection between cannabis and psychosis, the lawmakers want to slash the potency of cannabis products, limiting THC levels to no more than 10%.    The ban would be limited, because it  doesn’t cover products sold as “medical.”

House Bill 2546, would outlaw the vast majority of state-licensed vape cartridges, dabs, wax, extracts and other concentrates. These products account for nearly 40% of state-regulated marijuana sales in 2019. 

In Washington, as in Colorado, typical strains of raw cannabis flower average around 20% THC. However, this bill only applies to extracts, and it would still allow the high-potency raw marijuana.

Hamza Warsame, a Seattle teen, jumped 6 stories to his death after smoking pot for the first time.  An older friend purchased the high-potency marijuana at a legal pot shop.  Investigators on the case called the 16-year-old’s death an accident, not a crime.  

In 2016, Colorado citizens introduced a ballot to cap the THC at 16%.   The industry objected and used hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy off the petitioners of this sensible public safety suggestion

Alex Berenson’s concerns about marijuana and psychosis

A year ago, writer Alex Berenson published Tell Your Children the Truth about Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence.   The book will become available in paperback on February 18, 2020.

USA Today has published a provocative series on the links between marijuana and psychosis, as well as the problems related to vaping THC.   Although Washington did not ban vaping products, this bill would affect marijuana vapes.

Alex Berenson editorial suggests parents step up to the plate

This was supposed to be the year full cannabis legalization in the U.S. moved much closer to being a reality.  Instead it has been a disaster for advocates.  Although Illinois legalized recreational use on the final day of its legislative schedule, a half-dozen other deep-blue states that were expected to legalize failed to follow — including New York.

Advocates want to believe legalization on their terms, with few restrictions on marketing and limits potentially as low as 18, remains inevitable.  Polls show that between 62% and 66%of Americans support legalization.  But cannabis supporters are wrong, and the pushback against marijuana has only begun.

Why?  Because teen use is on the rise.  And the experience of the 1970s — the last time cannabis advocates believed they might win full national acceptance — shows that the strongest voices against cannabis use aren’t police officers or even physicians.  They’re parents. …As teenage use of cannabis exploded during the 1970s, many parents became deeply concerned. The drug seemed to damage their children’s motivation, memory and grades. …

Not coincidentally, in states where legalization failed this year, wealthier suburban lawmakers proved a crucial political stumbling block.  Because of the cost of vaping, the habit seems to be more attractive to upper-middle class kids, and their parents are nw seeing marijuana’s real risks up close.  As that knowledge spreads, the media is likely to take a more skeptical stance, and national support for legalization will shrink.  

Alex Berenson, The Wall Street Journal   

As published in the Chicago Tribune, July 3, 2019  

Alex Berenson is the author of Tell Your Children the Truth about Marijuana, Mental Health and Violence and 12 other books.

Attackersmokedcannabis.com asks Residents of UK to sign petition

A new website records murders, suicides and violence connected to cannabis use in Great Britain and Ireland.   Ross Grainger, writer, administers the website, attackersmokedcannabis.com.

‘Cannabis is a common factor in an alarming number of violent crimes, including murder, rape and child abuse, as well as suicide. As calls for the legalisation of cannabis grow ever louder, we demand the government first investigate the possible link between cannabis and violence.’

Grainger asks readers in Great Britain are asked to sign a petition to the British parliament. With more than 12,000 signatures, this petition passed the mark requiring a response.  Government responds to all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures.  At 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

The website links to a 287-page catalogue of over 150 tragedies which occurred between 1998 to 2018.  For example,   “Beloved mentally ill teenage cannabis smoker found dead in woodland” is one sad story similar to stories in the USA.    Another incident dates back to 2003. Charles King, 23, a student at Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design hung himself from a tree. He left a note saying, “Cannabis has ruined my life.”   (In Arizona, Andy Zorn left a similar message, “My soul is dead. Marijuana killed my soul + ruined my brain.”  His mother wrote some blogs for us, and his story is found on MomsStrong.org.)

Categories

The website divides incidences into following categories:                  Murder, manslaughter and infanticide (53)
Frenzied stabbings and savage assaults (48)
Rape and sexual violence (21)
Suicide and self harm (28)

In addition, there are sections on media bias, the tip of the iceberg and objections anticipated.  After Great Britain downgraded cannabis from a Class B drug to Class C in 2002, mental health problems increased. New cases bipolar and schizophrenia rose to record numbers. Great Britain went back to the earlier classification, after six years.

The catalogue reinforces our claims about murders, child abuse and suicides related to marijuana.  It is a valuable addition to the book a book published in January, Alex Berenson’s Tell Your Children the Truth about marijuana, mental illness and violence.

Follow Grainger on Twitter

Grainger also reports crime news involving psychotic breaks or cannabis withdrawal symptoms on Twitter, at Ross_Grainger.  He recently posted a horror story of cannabis addiction, the  ‘barbaric’  man who threatened to cut unborn child from mother.

He also reported of the hideous rape and murder of six-year-old Alesha MacPhail in Scotland, brought to justice  last week.  Of this crime, Peter Hitchens said:  “As soon as I heard the appalling details of this case, which took place on the peaceful Isle of Bute, I searched for the word ‘cannabis’ in the trial records. And immediately, as usual, I found that the accused was known to be a regular user of this drug.”

Hitchens continued, “It really is time to blast aside the PR spin which claims that marijuana is a ‘soft’, safe drug or even an actual medicine. It is nothing of the kind. Users all too often become mentally ill. And they are all too often found – as in the Alesha MacPhail case – to be the perpetrators of terrible, violent crime.”  (Peter Hitchens frequently writes of the connection between marijuana and crime)