Cannabis Ordinance Hearing - Monday night 12/9/2024

Beware What Your State Wishes for YOUR Neighborhood!

What follows is written to be included in our Eureka public record of this hearing. 

I understand the structure of this Ordinance is based on recent Minnesota Statutes forcing cannabis operations and businesses on all local government units in the State, usurping local zoning authority on this subject. Basically, this means we are powerless to stop it.

This is the most egregious example of overreach and ill-considered legislation ever put forth by Minnesota. I know there are certain prescribed benefits in carefully controlled, medical contexts, but this goes far beyond into the realm of so-called recreational use overseen by non-medical monitors and bureaucracy.

 The balance of my comments, for our public record, are direct quotes from actual medical authorities and researchers studying some of the concerns about widespread cannabis use without medical oversight. The underlined blue words and name are links to the actual sources.

 From the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio:

 “As cannabis is legalized and is more accessible in various forms across the country, there is increasing concern among health care providers about potential impact on children. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have new findings to add to the existing evidence that cannabis exposure before birth can negatively impact children.

 “In a study published October 28, 2024, in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers found prenatal cannabis exposure was associated in early childhood with poorer thinking skills and behaviors such as impulse control, paying attention, planning ability, and more aggressive behavior, all of which play a vital role in how children perform in school and interact with others.

 “Although cannabis is a natural product, there are still many risks to using it during pregnancy,” said Sarah Keim, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s, and lead author of the study. “Some women may turn to cannabis to help deal with some common issues of pregnancy including nausea, sleep problems and stress. This is not recommended. Consulting with a health care provider to find safer options to help with these issues during pregnancy is important.

“Our findings were not surprising – they actually confirm and expand on longstanding evidence from previous research,” said Dr. Keim. “With our more contemporary and diverse sample of women and children, and with much higher potency of cannabis now than in past decades, this study validates previous research and supports existing clinical recommendations for patients.”

The JAMA Pediatrics researchers analyzed data on cannabis exposure at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The study was titled “Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Executive Function and Aggressive Behavior at Age 5 Years”.  80 children born of mothers who had used cannabis were evaluated among a group of 250 children.