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--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm Georgia Howe, and I'm here with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with us, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's Saturday, July 2nd. Today, we're talking about a disturbing trend: more teens visiting emergency rooms for THC poisoning. We'll also dive into the Biden administration's efforts to win back the support of parents. And new evidence from the Hunter Biden laptop raises national security concerns.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. Let's start with the alarming rise in THC poisoning among teens. We have Daily Wire's Charlotte Pence Bond joining us to explain what's behind this trend.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Thanks for having me, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, what are emergency departments reporting?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: According to the New York Times, hospitals are seeing more teens and young adults presenting with symptoms of THC toxicity. The most common symptom is intense bouts of vomiting, but teens are also experiencing mental health problems, including changes to brain connectivity and memory, depression, psychosis, and suicidal ideation.
--:-- John Bickley: That's disturbing. Why do doctors believe these symptoms are more common in teens?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The thought is that teens still developing brains are more susceptible to the effects of THC. Since cannabis became legal, there's been a proliferation of synthetic cannabis products on the market, many of which have been distilled to include very high levels of THC.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What's changed in the cannabis industry that's contributing to this trend?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The strains of marijuana being grown now are much more potent than even a few decades ago. In 1995, the concentration of THC in cannabis was around 4%. By 2017, that number was up to 17%. And cannabis products can be much higher, even up to 90 to 100% concentration.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a significant increase. What do we know about cannabis use rates among young people?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: National research shows that marijuana usage among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders actually went down in 2021. But prior to 2021, it was increasing sharply.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Are there any regulations on these products, especially since recreational use is now legal in 19 states?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Only two states, Vermont and Connecticut, have concentration limits, capping THC at 60%. In most of the U.S. where cannabis is legal, there aren't restrictions.
--:-- John Bickley: That's concerning. Thanks for bringing us this story, Charlotte.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, let's talk about the Biden administration's efforts to win back the support of parents. The Department of Education has launched a National Parents and Families Engagement Council. We have Keri Sheffield, Senior Policy Analyst at Independent Women's Voice, joining us to discuss this development.
--:-- Keri Sheffield: Thanks for having me, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, why is the president making this council a priority right now?
--:-- Keri Sheffield: Joe Biden has a parents problem. It started with a letter from the National School Boards Association to Attorney General Merrick Garland last fall, labeling parents who spoke out at school board meetings as potential domestic terrorists.
--:-- John Bickley: That was a major controversy. What's the response been to this announcement?
--:-- Keri Sheffield: Critics say this parent group is merely window dressing so that the White House can claim that schools are working with parents. They say this is a political move.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a concern. Thanks for reporting on this, Keri.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, let's talk about new evidence from the Hunter Biden laptop. Andrew Kerr, investigative reporter for The Washington Examiner, joins us to discuss this story.
--:-- Andrew Kerr: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, what have you found in your reporting on Hunter Biden's activities?
--:-- Andrew Kerr: We've been working with a former Secret Service agent who found the password to Hunter Biden's iPhone backup. We discovered extensive communications between Hunter Biden and a Russian escort agency, showing he spent over $30,000 on escorts linked to Russian email addresses and bank accounts.
--:-- John Bickley: That's disturbing. What does this mean for national security?
--:-- Andrew Kerr: Former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy explained that if Joe Biden wasn't the president, he wouldn't be able to obtain a security clearance due to these payments to Russian escorts.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That raises serious concerns. Thanks for bringing us this story, Andrew.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation. If you love our show and you stand with our mission, consider subscribing, leaving us a five-star rating, and sharing our podcast with a friend.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we have for today. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
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