Category: Drugs/Alcohol/Addictions

SPOTLIGHT: Before We Get High

Written by John Biver

This week’s Spotlight features the conversation of IFA’s David E. Smith and Stephanie Trussell, that was originally broadcast this past Saturday in the opening hour of The Stephanie Trussell Show on 890 AM in Chicago.

Stephanie questions him about the recreational marijuana question on the ballot in Cook County.

At the very start of the show, host Trussell spoke about “the significance of a sitting president speaking at the March for Life.”… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Is Illinois Going to Pot?

Written by David E. Smith

In this week’s edition of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick and Dave Smith sit down to talk with Bishop Lance Davis about the push to legalize recreational marijuana.  Bishop Davis is the senior pastor of New Zion Covenant Church in Dolton, Illinois and chairman of the African American Clergy Coalition.

Background
Last year, Illinois State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) introduced legislation to legalize recreational marijuana in Illinois (HB 2353) and began holding public hearings on the issue to build support and excitement for this insidious policy. … Continue Reading

Will Illinois Choose Pot Before Jobs?

Written by John Biver

In a high tax state that’s bankrupt and losing residents and jobs, one might think that our government officials would have better things to do than legalizing marijuana for recreational use. And one would be wrong. Especially when taxing marijuana is seen as yet another source of revenue for their almost bankrupt tax coffers.

The Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems (ICAAAP) issued an alert this week bringing attention to the fact that there will be an advisory referendum on the Cook County Ballot calling on the state to legalize marijuana.Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Fighting Marijuana Legalization

Written by Benjamin Smith

We are pleased to feature Jo McGuire in this week’s Spotlight podcast. She serves on the board of directors for the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association and co-chairs the Marijuana Education Committee. Jo is also a DATIA Certified Professional Collector and Trainer (CPCT) and a Certified Designated Employee Representative Trainer (CDERT) who consults and trains professionals overseeing Safety Sensitive Employees in the compliance of federal DOT guidelines for drug and alcohol screening programs.… Continue Reading

The Case Against Recreational Marijuana: Colorado

 

Written by Benjamin Smith

Last week, State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) introduced legislation to legalize recreational marijuana for anyone 21 years-old or older.  These bills (HB 2353 and SB 316) would not only legalize the sale and use of marijuana (possession limit of 28 grams which makes about 60 joints), but also allows people to grow marijuana in their homes or on property they own.  

That is why this week’s podcast is so very important.  … Continue Reading

Marijuana Myths

marijuana-myths

On this week’s podcast:  Ed Ronkowski once again joins Monte Larrick and Dave Smith to shed some light on pressing questions about marijuana and its legal status. Mr. Ronkowski dispels the common misunderstanding that marijuana crowds prisons, and the panel discusses the idea marijuana is “not that bad,” whether medicinal marijuana is an acceptable medical option, and how Illinois is currently facing the marijuana question.

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Color Colorado Purple

ROCKY_MOUNTAIN_HIGH_monitor_colorado_marijuana_2

Written by Robert Knight

The Rocky Mountain State is known for its purple mountain majesties, as immortalized in “America the Beautiful.”

But If Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote the nation’s unofficial anthem in 1913, were penning her lyrics near Pike’s Peak today, she might be humming “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix.

Colorado is purple all over, from legalizing recreational use of marijuana in 2012 to its role as a crucial swing state.

From the hippie districts of Denver and Boulder to the Christian conclaves in Colorado Springs, there’s something for every persuasion.… Continue Reading

Sanders Doesn’t Fully Understand Drug Use and Incarceration

sanders

Posted by Parents Opposed to Pot

During the Democratic debate on October 13, Bernie Sanders had a misunderstanding of the facts when he suggested people go to prison for smoking a joint. A few days later, Dan Riffle, a lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project, admitted on Twitter that it doesn’t happen. However, for the last five years, the marijuana advocates have aggressively promoted the misconception that people are arrested and go to prison for pot possession alone.… Continue Reading