drugs

It may only be a matter of time before the US prohibition of marijuana goes up in smoke. The same demographic realities that explain the relatively swift shift in the country's attitudes about gay marriage (i.e., young people with more open-minded views) could also bring more permissive laws about marijuana.

The political website Talking Points Memo analyzed national polls from the past two decades and compared answers to questions about marijuana legalization and marriage equality. It found that increased support for both issues mirror each other. For example, in 1995 only 25 percent of Americans supported making pot legal. And in 1996, only 27 percent of Americans supported making gay marriage legal. Since then, support for each has grown at a similar pace, and according to recent polls today more people support both legal pot and same-sex marriage than those who oppose it. And since legalizing and taxing marijuana could appeal to both liberals and libertarians alike, it could find fans on both sides of the aisle. It already did in Washington and Colorado, states that legalized pot last November for anyone over 21.

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Do You Think Marijuana Will Soon Be Legal?

Yes

No

Could a glass of wine during pregnancy land you behind bars? It might if you live in Alabama. In this upcoming weekend's New York Times Magazine, Ada Calhoun delves into Alabama's controversial chemical-endangerment laws where mothers who give birth to babies with even a trace of drugs in their bloodstreams are not only ordered into rehab but are criminally prosecuted for putting their newborns in harm's way.

In one case, when a newborn died hours after his premature birth, and mother tested positive for methamphetamine, she was charged with a Class A felony for contributing to the death of her child, with a mandatory sentence of 10 years to life. The laws — which are the harshest in the country — were designed to protect kids from "explosive meth labs," but they are now being applied to expectant mothers, and that's where the controversy comes in. Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all fear that such prosecutions may just be the tip of the iceberg. In the article, Emma Ketteringham, the director of the National Advocates For Pregnant Women, says:

"It starts with cocaine, and then it’s cigarettes and alcohol. How much alcohol? And when? It’s only a matter of time until it comes to refusing a bed-rest order because you need to work and take care of your other children and then you have a miscarriage. What if you stay at a job where you’re exposed to toxic chemicals, as at a dry cleaner? What if you keep taking your SSRIs during pregnancy? If a woman is told that sex during her pregnancy could be a risk to the fetus, and the woman has sex anyway and miscarries, are you going to prosecute the woman — and the man, too?"

What do you think? Should women be prosecuted for exposing their unborn babies to drugs?

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Should Mothers Be Prosecuted For Exposing Their Unborn Babies to Drugs?

Yes — It is no different than putting an older child in harm's way.

No — The law shouldn't apply to unborn children.

Most women need something to take the edge off during labor and there are lots of options with the epidural being fairly common. But now, moms-to-be will likely have another choice — laughing gas. One report said:

The use of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, during childbirth fell out of favor in the United States decades ago, and just two hospitals — one in San Francisco and one in Seattle — still offer it. But interest in returning the dentist office staple to the delivery room is growing: respected hospitals including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center plan to start offering it, the federal government is reviewing it, and after a long hiatus, the equipment needed to administer it is expected to hit the market soon.

Would you consider using it?

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Would You Use Laughing Gas During Labor?

Yes — I'd welcome the option.

No — I am not a fan of it.

A deadbeat dad rolls into town on last night's Parenthood! When Amber and Drew's pop shows up to play some gigs, Sarah has a bit of a breakdown when she finds out her son has been hanging out with his father. While the mom of two has good reason — namely because her ex is an addict — is it ever fair to keep a kid (who wants a relationship) away from his or her parent?

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Is It Fair For a Mother to Keep a Child From His Father?

Yes — Mothers have to make these tough decisions.

No — Every child should know their father.