“If you don’t believe marijuana has addictive qualities, then you’re not paying attention.” – PA State Rep. Craig Williams
The addiction-for-profit marijuana industry has its sights set on Pennsylvania, and if we don’t speak up now, its influence may push our state government to allow high-potency THC to target our children with their harmful products made for retail sale in stores down the street from your home.
Legislative Update
HB1200, a 173-page marijuana commercialization bill that was voted out of committee less than 24 hours after it was made publicly available and passed by party lines through the PA House two days later, was brought up for a committee vote on Monday, May 12th by the PA Senate Law and Justice Committee, with less than a day’s notice for committee members. Marijuana industry backer State Sen. Dan Laughlin, chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, knew HB1200 would be voted down and used the opportunity to tout his own bill that the marijuana industry will back. He has not yet formally introduced his marijuana commercialization proposal.
The rushed process is the worst procedure for a policy that will fundamentally alter Pennsylvania with such a destructive proposal. As we await Sen. Dan Laughlin’s bill, the next time the PA Senate will be in session in Harrisburg is June 2nd.
As we face this addiction-for-profit scheme with industrialized marijuana, may we draw your attention to three important takeaways from recent weeks surrounding this issue:
1. Parents sharing their story of the human toll of marijuana use and how state legalization will harm more families.
At a press conference on May 6th in Harrisburg, Jennifer Kelchner from Chester County shared the harsh reality of marijuana’s impact on her young son: “He was bright and athletic, in AP classes, and a varsity football captain. And now? He is a shell. He is a burden to himself, to our family, and to the state. And all of this started with THC.”
He first tried marijuana at age 14. He suffered mental health issues as a result, once spending his childhood life savings during a two-day psychotic episode. “A door opened that we can never close again.”
“Today, he’s unrecognizable—paranoid, manic, delusional. He thought the Taliban was after him. He stole Pokémon cards from Walmart because he thought that’s what the Taliban demanded from him.”
While her son is one year sober from marijuana use, he lives in Jennifer’s basement, barely functioning, and has doubled his weight from primarily staying in bed.
Jennifer was one of several parents who shared similar stories about the reality of today’s marijuana and the harm it caused their children.
Jeff and Patti Weaver from Allegheny County shared the tragedy of losing their son, who was found in the Juniata River after expressing psychotic symptoms days earlier. “Had our son never smoked marijuana, I am sure he’d be alive today.”
“Too many people are naive to the real harms of today’s commercial marijuana,” stated Crissy Groenewegen, the director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana’s Parent Action Network, at the Harrisburg press conference.
Watch the full press conference here.
2. PA State Rep. Craig Williams, sharing the heartbreaking story of losing his brother to drugs: “In his teens, he became addicted to marijuana.”
One PA House member who spoke out against the marijuana bill on the chamber floor before the vote was Rep. Craig Williams (R-Chester/Delaware), who shared about his younger brother and his marijuana addiction.
“Today, I spoke about losing my brother to addiction, a death spiral which began in high school with smoking marijuana. You will never convince my family that marijuana wasn’t a gateway drug that eventually took his life,” stated Rep. Williams.
Rep. Williams went into detail on the House floor about his brother’s addiction. “DUIs for being under the influence of narcotics, including marijuana. In and out of the California penal institution….He’s gone. Lost him in his early 30s to an overdose. Now I know that may not have much impact on you. But I wish that it would.”
You can listen to his full floor remarks here.
“If you don’t believe marijuana has addictive qualities, then you’re not paying attention. The CDC says 30% of the people who start to use marijuana become addicted to it…My hope and prayer for you is that you and your family never have to suffer the tragedy that my family did.”
3. Hundreds of Pennsylvania Church Leaders tell Gov. Shapiro and state officials: “Oppose this harmful policy.”
There are over 200 Pennsylvania church leaders – representing over 1,000 churches – that have signed an open letter to Gov. Shapiro and state officials outlining many harms with a push to commercialize marijuana use in Pennsylvania.
“There is substantial evidence that marijuana use is contributing to rising addiction rates and other serious harms, and commercializing its sale will make these issues worse,” states the letter.
Signers include Dr. Todd Williams (President and CEO of Cairn University), Dr. Barry Whitworth (Baptist Resource Center), and Dr. Don Immel (PennDel Assemblies of God).
What Can I Do? Three Action Items
- Pray.
- Contact your State Senator and State Representative to oppose the commercial sale of industrialized marijuana for recreational use in Pennsylvania. (To send an email, click here.)
- If your church is not part of the open letter, ask your church leadership to join the many other church leaders taking a public stance against marijuana legalization for recreational use.
