Author: Diane Carlson
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Perspective: Closing the hemp loophole
For years, gas stations, convenience stores, and online shops advertised “hemp” or “CBD” candies and vapes packaged in rainbow colors and marketed with words like “calming” and “natural.” They looked harmless — even healthy — and were readily available to kids. Rita Webb’s teenage son began using products labeled “CBD,” believing they were safe. But…
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GUEST OPINION: Congress must act on psychoactive ‘hemp’
In 2018, Congress legalized industrial hemp with bipartisan enthusiasm. The intent was clear: to unleash the potential of nonintoxicating hemp to benefit agriculture, health, and manufacturing and create jobs. “Rope, not dope,” was how many in Congress described the opportunity at the time. Elected officials across the nation were surprised to discover that an unintended…
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GUEST COLUMN: Tighten up marijuana protections for Colorado kids
Five years after the debut of recreational marijuana commercialization in Colorado, it’s time for our state to take the next step to protect kids. A growing body of scientific research highlights the various ways marijuana harms youths. • Teen marijuana use is associated with significant increases in the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts in…
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GUEST COLUMN: Protect children from marijuana but hope it helps kids with seizures
My son’s first grand mal seizure came completely out of the blue. He was almost 2 and had been outside playing with his siblings. When they came in for lunch, he fell. His small frame rattled against the wood kitchen floor; he started turning blue and stopped breathing. It didn’t take long before our lives…