Coolio said:
You aren't looking at this from a quantitative perspective, lifeisforliving.
I think the word you are looking for is - cumulative.
coolio said:
When you consider the developmental toxicity risks you assume when you become pregnant in this dirty modern world, the additional risk that smoking marijuana poses is negligible. The risks you assume from diet (especially pesticide residue in agriculture, and bioaccumulated toxics in fish... also trans fats and natural and artificial hormones in milk, soy products, etc.), your drinking water (MTBEs, PCBs, toxic metals), the air ("Over 5 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released by industry into the nation's environment each year, including 75 million pounds of recognized carcinogens.") etc. are so bad that occasional marijuana use could not be considered risky in relation to what's currently sanctioned of mothers legally and morally.
Well, there are a couple issues I have with your view:
1) There is very little research showing that marijuana (smoking it) doesn't harm the pregnancy. You are assuming that marijuana, and all the chemicals created when *smoking* the plant into your lungs, have "negligible" effects on a developing fetus.
2) Many of the risks you mention: poor air quality, pesticide residue, toxins in fish, drinking water... are very difficult to avoid. They "come with the territory". Smoking marijuana, just like drinking alcohol, or stuffing your face with McDonalds french fries, are all CONTROLLABLE risks. You can CHOOSE to take the additional risks involved, or simply CHOOSE to eliminate those risks.
3) There *is* developing evidence showing that it is not only the amounts of a single mutagen that increase the potential for defects, but also the *variety* of toxins. An example would be in a recent study on tadpoles (which I will find and link if you require), they tested the effects of 3 pesticides on groups of tadpoles. The groups that were given LOW concentrations of all THREE pesticides showed far greater developmental defects, than the groups that were given only ONE of the 3 pesticides, but in a larger amount.
So what does this mean? It means that adding the additional stress of "a few tokes of marijuana" or "a few drinks of alcohol" or "insert drug here", MAY JUST put the developmental risks "over the top".
Trying to justify the risks of marijuana smoking while pregnant by using statistics or "it's just a little toxin, it's ok" is the same mentality people can use to decide that drunk driving is A-OK - I mean, comeon, what % chance is it that I would die after drunk driving ONCE? The thing with bringing a child into this world is.. we only get that one chance.