Reefer Madness: ‘If You Legalize Marijuana, You’re Going to Kill Your Kids,’ Says Nebraska Governor
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Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has made his position on legalized marijuana of any type – including medical – clear: just say no.
“If you legalize marijuana, you’re going to kill your kids,” Ricketts said at a press conference, after state lawmakers discussed a bill that could legalize medical marijuana in the state.
This is getting some buzz, so here’s Gov. Ricketts today, saying “if you legalize marijuana, you’re going to kill your kids.”
Some context: he said this after mentioning incidents in other states in which suicides and accidents occurred after pot ingestion. pic.twitter.com/L86SBoc0sC
— Jon Kipper (@jonnykip21) March 10, 2021
“This is a dangerous drug that will impact our kids,” Ricketts said. “If you legalize marijuana, you’re going to kill your kids. That’s what the data shows from around the country. That’s why it’s dangerous to go around the established process we have to determine whether or not drugs are safe and effective, why legalizing marijuana and going around the regulatory process to keep people safe is dangerous, and going to harm our kids.”
Ricketts, a Republican, is a longtime staunch opponent of legalized marijuana for any purpose. He cites federal law, under which marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that there is “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. At the press conference, Ricketts also referred to the negative impact of legalization in nearby and neighboring states like Colorado, Nevada, and California.
On Wednesday, state lawmakers had discussed a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in the state. The bill would regulate and tax medical cannabis, limiting prescription power to a doctor or physician, and only for serious medical conditions, according to local station KETV.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 36 states and D.C. have legalized marijuana for medical use, and more than a dozen states have legalized it for adult recreational use.
