Courtesy of Peter Grant, we find this study that links marijuana use by pregnant women with a 50% rise in the chance of autism.
A recent analysis of more than 500,000 Canadian mothers and their children revealed a 50% increase in the risk of autism in kids whose mothers had used marijuana while pregnant, according to a report published Monday in Nature Medicine.
Daniel Corsi, the study's lead author and adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa, and his colleagues parsed data from all Ontario births occurring from 2007 to 2012.
The 503,065 children analyzed — 3,148 of whom had mothers that had used cannabis while pregnant — were followed for an average of seven years. Exactly 7,125 were diagnosed with varying levels of autism.
Researchers found that the rate of autism diagnoses among children with in utero cannabis exposure was 2.2%. Of those whose mothers did not use the drug during pregnancy, only 1.4% were diagnosed with autism.
Look, I get that some folks use pot for medical purposes. I understand that. But the vast majority of people are just using it to get high, and it's going to have long lasting effects that we can't even begin to fathom at this time. And I can tell you from personal experience that a mother who's constantly high CAN NOT properly parent their kids. No, not my mom, although for all the crap I've put my parents through they couldn't be blamed for wanting to take the edge off.
And therefore what, Dave? Are you proposing anything in particular, or is this just a general statement of opposition to the use of cannabis-based drugs for recreational purposes?
ReplyDeleteThe folks nattering about "climate change" talk about "long-lasting effects," too. Bear that in mind.
Honestly, it's just a general statement of opposition. I've made my feelings on weed clear over the years; other than medical uses, I want it illegal. Or, understanding that it's almost impossible to eradicate, withdraw all the social safety nets for those who want to use it to get intoxicated on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteI also just want the knowledge out there. Consider it my part to rage against the culture that says "Dude, weed is natural, man!" Yeah, so is arsenic.