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Marijuana label bills move on to state Senate

parents.com

LANSING, MI (MPRN)--   Some Michigan lawmakers think women need to be warned of the potential dangers of using marijuana while pregnant.

Bills passed out of the state House Tuesday that would require marijuana products to contain a health warning label for women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding, similar to what is currently on alcohol.

“Doctors in the medical community believe there could be some long-term developmental issues and it could cause low birthweight,” said bill sponsor, Republican Representative Thomas Albert. “So, we want to make sure we’re protecting our vulnerable here.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women stop using marijuana if they are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. That’s because of studies that found potential health risks to the unborn child. 

Albert said he knows this won’t impact some drug users who won’t read the labels. 

“We’re looking at moderate users of marijuana and making sure that they have the right information,” Albert said.

Republican Representative Beau LaFave voted against the bills. He said if the government put a warning label on everything that could be dangerous, everything would have a warning label.

“It gets to the point where if everything has warning labels on it, the labels themselves become less effective,” he said.

The bills would also require retailers to have informational pamphlets located by cash registers. Those pamphlets would have to include information about marijuana use by minors and the poison control hotline number.

The bills now move on to the state Senate for consideration.

Before becoming the newest Capitol reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network, Cheyna Roth was an attorney. She spent her days fighting it out in court as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ionia County. Eventually, Cheyna took her investigative and interview skills and moved on to journalism. She got her masters at Michigan State University and was a documentary filmmaker, podcaster, and freelance writer before finding her home with NPR. Very soon after joining MPRN, Cheyna started covering the 2016 presidential election, chasing after Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and all their surrogates as they duked it out for Michigan. Cheyna also focuses on the Legislature and criminal justice issues for MPRN. Cheyna is obsessively curious, a passionate storyteller, and an occasional backpacker. Follow her on Twitter at @Cheyna_R