How does cannabis legalization reduce the number of children going into foster care by 10%?

“What about the KIDS!” This mantra was propagated throughout the golden years of Prohibition, and in a way we still hold onto that mindset when it comes to cannabis politics.

The “what about the kids” argument typically followed the following logic;

1. Drugs are bad

2. If you legalize drugs, send the message that “it’s okay to use drugs.”

3. The “kids” would see it, imitate it… and…

4. THEY WILL CALL THE APOCALYPSE!!!

Perhaps the fourth point is a bit of an exaggeration, but the general logical progression of the argument suggests that something ‘legal’ will indirectly persuade children to try drugs.

The problem with this false concern is that “the kids” are subject to myriad other social ills that are perfectly legal, and thus — “the kids” can really fuck themselves because in “those cases” parents are considered the carers of theirs Children and the state no longer has any responsibility for their well-being.

Still confused?

Yes, me too!

let me make it easier

In 2018, nearly half of Americans had an “obesity predisposition,” with nearly one in ten Americans being severely obese. If we look at childhood obesity rates in the US, almost one in five people is at risk of obesity.

This is directly related to the American diet. All that sugary, hormone-packed corn syrup-industrial goo they sell you as “food” is wrapped in plastic doused with phthalates, which reduce fertility and lessen blemishes in little boys. This sold en masse without anyone noticing – and if you looked around the room you could hear the crickets as no one was shouting “WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS!”

Only recently has the phthalates discussion gained popularity, but I don’t see any major legislation, no major push from these so-called “mother groups” concerned about the health of their children. I guess if they don’t smoke the gross goo – they can eat themselves into a coma while actively working on a healthy dose of diabetes to accompany their shriveled little blemishes.

However, the “what about the kids” mantra may have even perpetuated actual harm to children, a new study has found.

Legal Cannabis – Less Foster Kii.es!

A recent study entitled “Legalizing Recreational Marijuana and Entering the Care System,” found that legalizing cannabis could actually have a positive impact on children’s well-being. Here is the abstract of the study;

We estimate the impact of legalized recreational marijuana on entry into the care system. Taking advantage of state differences in legalization and timing, we estimate that legalization reduces foster care placements by at least 10%, with greater impacts in the years following legalization and for drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse, and admissions Parental Neglect, and Parental Imprisonment. Our results imply that legalization can have important consequences for child well-being and that the substitution of other substances for marijuana can be an important part of how legalization affects licensing.

In other words, because parents didn’t go to jail for cannabis, they could stay home and take care of their kids. Cannabis is a far less dangerous substance than alcohol by all measurements. Alcohol is implicated in nearly 40% of all violent crime and is highly addictive. However, YouTube will serve ads that can be seen by children.

You can drink yourself insane, pass out in your backyard, and piss on yourself—all of which would be legal and socially “acceptable.” Sure, people frown on alcoholism, but they glamorize it on TV with Super Bowl commercials. Once again, the “what about the kids” protests are eerily silent when it comes to promoting a more harmful substance during “family time.”

The fact that the War on Drugs sends about 25,000 children with families into foster care each year is an atrocity. That deserves a “what about the kids!” But again – these morally driven parenting groups couldn’t give a damn about some “poor kids” that aren’t their own. The hypocrisy is real!

How did I get the 25,000 a year? Well, this is based on general foster family entries in 2019. You can check the stats here. If you consider that the study found that admissions, “entrances,” were reduced by 10%, we’re looking at around 25,000-26,000 children.

That’s 25,000 children who are now dealing with psychological trauma, a developmental disorder, and a forced separation from their parent figures by a “hostile state.” And you wonder why people don’t trust the government.

While “What About the Kids” certainly draws some attention, one Reddit user put it best;

I’ve been very disappointed in the number of people who have supported marijuana legalization, not because they understand the profound issues with the War On Drugs, but simply because weed is about as harmful as caffeine.

Unfortunately, most people still don’t understand how the WoD is a damage maximization strategy that takes an already dangerous substance and greatly exacerbates every dimension of its damage, from the user to society at large and national governments.

The calculus is still “The thing is bad, we have to ban it.” There has just been a shift to “weed isn’t bad”. That’s why we’re in the midst of another drug panic and crackdown, mindlessly increasing penalties for fentanyl even as weed is legalized everywhere. What is unacknowledged is that fentanyl is a pure example of the consequences of the ban; virtually no one prefers it, and the crisis was largely caused by government policy, as the CDC, acting as the DEA’s mouthpiece against the consensus of medical experts, launched a war on painkillers in general rather than targeting inappropriate prescriptions and boosting demand for street opioids, resulting in a need for a greatly expanded offering. Then, when they saw the easier procurement and bigger profits, it basically replaced heroin, at the cost of far, far, far more ODs. – Fafalone

Which brings us to the fundamental problem with prohibition – it doesn’t make drugs safer. Nor does it solve the problem—it just lining the pockets of criminals, empowering a hostile state, and oppressing children by forcibly removing them from parental care.

As Fafalone pointed out, the war on drugs is shifting in line with the latest “problem”. We are currently in an “opioid epidemic” and “need” the DEA and government to “fight” more boogie men. But unlike the average person, I’ve been covering the war on drugs, prohibition and cannabis political politics for over a decade.

The study found that legalizing cannabis reduced registrations by 10%… but how many other drugs are involved? What if the treatment was free? What if there was a surefire way to get out of addiction? What if locking people up for drug use is the worst way to deal with a drug problem?

The fact is that the War on Drugs cannot and should not exist at all. It is a cruel policy that undermines trust in government – which for an anarchist like me is something that has long been lost (trust in government).

The fact of the matter is that if we really aspire to a society that cares about people, we need to stop treating drug use as a crime. We need to recognize that we all use drugs in one way or another. We need to understand that pharma is not god when it comes to medicine and people should be allowed to explore alternatives to the pharma option.

It’s time we moved forward as a collective, challenged these dinosaurs and “decentralized the power structure” once more.

How shall we do it?

Let me know in the comment section.

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