Say NO to Weed

… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Jeanne Ives Addresses Marijuana and Illinois’ Economic Crisis

Written by Benjamin Smith

This week’s Spotlight features Jeanne Ives as she presents facts and figures that underscore the stark reality Democrats in the Land of Lincoln are unwilling to face. As a former Illinois state representative and recent gubernatorial candidate, Ms. Ives is supremely qualified to speak to the myriad of problems that plague our state.

Rather than relying on anticipated (i.e., overly optimistic and ultimately insufficient) tax revenue from legal recreational marijuana to solve Illinois’ economic crisis, pension mismanagement, and outmigration woes, Ms.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Consequences of Marijuana Legalization and Commercialization

Written by Benjamin Smith

Joining Monte Larrick for this week’s Spotlight podcast are Dr. Karen Randall and Jo McGuire, both Colorado residents and marijuana experts in their respective fields. Sixty Illinois legislators, Republicans and Democrats, have issued a resolution calling for a slowdown regarding legalization and commercialization of high-potency marijuana – and our guests say a slowdown is well-warranted.

Dr. Randall and Ms. McGuire can attest that the overall cost to health, safety, law enforcement, and social service entities in their state far outweighs the miniscule “profit” generated through marijuana tax revenue.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Why Would We Legalize a City-Destroying Drug?

Written by Benjamin Smith

A recent forum on marijuana, hosted by IFI, is the source of this week’s Spotlight podcast. Many factors contribute to the growing problem of homelessness in America and according to Pastor Phil Kwiatkowski, president of Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, the most common factor is drug use and addiction.  With this reality in mind, how could anyone, especially in Chicago (ranked in the top 10 U.S. cities for homelessness), think that legalizing recreational marijuana is a good idea?… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Randall Explains THC and CBD

Written by Benjamin Smith

In this week’s Spotlight podcast – maybe we should call it a potcast – Dr. Karen Randall returns to share her knowledge and experience with legal, high-potency marijuana, not only in her role as an ER physician, but also as a tax-paying resident of Colorado.

Dr. Randall explains the difference between the major compounds, THC and CBD, found in the marijuana plant and addresses how genetic modification affects compound levels. Monte, Dave, and Dr.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: A Marijuana State of Mind

Written by Benjamin Smith

Jo McGuire once again joins Monte Larrick and David Smith for a conversation on the extensive topic of commercial marijuana and the ongoing ramifications of legalized pot in Colorado. Ms. McGuire is the chairman of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association, NDASA.com.

The podcast opens with a discussion of an issue that is often overlooked – how might legalized access to marijuana affect, even pose a threat to, safe and drug-free work environments?… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: The Drug Plague is Growing, What to Do?

Written by Benjamin Smith

This week we turn our Spotlight on Angela Camp, a drug addiction specialist with Bradford Health Services in Birmingham, Alabama. During an Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems conference in Springfield, Ms. Camp met with Monte Larrick to discuss the escalating heroin epidemic in the United States and its connection to opioid and marijuana use and addiction.

Ms. Camp explains how availability, affordability, and changes in public perception have contributed to the increase in drug abuse in middle-class America.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Until It Affects You

Written by Benjamin Smith

In light of Governor JB Pritzker’s avowed priority to legalize “recreational” marijuana in Illinois, this week’s Spotlight podcast is definitely worth listening to as well as sharing with family and friends – especially anyone who might be on the fence about the subject of legalization.

As a long-time Emergency Room physician (with a certificate in Cannabis Science and Medicine from the University of Vermont), Dr. Karen Randall brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table as she describes to Monte Larrick and David Smith the devastation legal access to high-potency marijuana has brought to her community of Pueblo, Colorado.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: How to Prevent Illinois’ Collision With Legal Pot

Written by Benjamin Smith

Happy New Year and welcome to the first Spotlight podcast of 2019! For this edition of Spotlight we are revisiting highlights of an earlier episode featuring IFI’s own Monte Larrick and J.D. Mesnard, Regional Director with Alliance Defending Freedom’s Church Alliance. This interview took place in May 2018 at IFI’s fourth annual Worldview Conference. Mesnard begins the podcast by detailing the range of vital legal assistance the ADF Church Alliance provides to churches.… Continue Reading

Left-Wing Mayor Wants to Trade Addictions for Revenue

Written by David E. Smith

Addictions to help mitigate decades of irresponsible political spending? It’s preposterous, but that is out-going left-wing Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s prescription to reduce (not solve) the nagging pension crisis.

Emanuel and others like him think that hooking Illinois citizens into vices like marijuana and casino gambling is a legitimate way to realize new revenue sources. Of course, ill-gotten gains from dope and gambling are inadequate in-and-of-themselves and require spendthrift politicians to increase our gasoline tax by 20-30 cent per gallon to feed their insatiable spending habits.… Continue Reading