In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Jamie Lo discuss the complex topic of marijuana and the fetal brain. Dr. Lo explains some of the findings from a study of over 3 million pregnant individuals in California, why pregnant individuals may choose to use marijuana, the links between THC exposure in the fetal brain and long-term neurodevelopmental issues, and why this conversation is becoming increasingly important for healthcare providers to have with their patients. Dr. Lo emphasizes the importance of both maternal and fetal health, the need for better public health campaigns, and increased education for healthcare providers to address the rising use of cannabis during pregnancy.

Key Takeaways:

• More people now use marijuana than alcohol. The prevalence of pregnant individuals ranges from about 2-5% up to 30% depending on socioeconomic status, region, and other factors.

• The reasons that pregnant individuals report marijuana use are typically for nausea, vomiting, sleep, insomnia, and mental health as well as management of pain and stress.

• Marijuana is not safer just because it is “plant-based”. Opium, tobacco, and alcohol are all also plant-based.

• We need clearer public health messaging around cannabis. The information widely available now is often confusing or stigmatized.

"Cannabis, unlike other drugs, is not related to birth defects, but there is an increased risk for preterm birth, small for gestational age babies, increased risk for stillbirth, as well as longer-term effects that are more subtle but are very important." — Dr. Jamie Lo, MD

Connect with Dr. Jamie Lo, MD:

Professional Bio: https://www.ohsu.edu/people/jamie-lo-md-mcr

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Natalie Wexler discuss the poor reading skills of American students, as evidenced by NAEP test results. Natalie highlights the ineffectiveness of current reading programs and the focus on skills over content. She also talks about the discrepancies between students of different backgrounds, and how The Matthew Effect appears in reading comprehension and general knowledge. She also encourages teachers and parents to introduce their children, as early as possible, to higher concepts and vocabulary as children can and do understand more than many give them credit for. Natalie also discusses the role of writing in enhancing reading comprehension and the need for systemic changes in education to improve literacy outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

• When it comes to literacy and reading, the standards don’t specify content. Therefore, the tests are not grounded in consistent content.

• Most kids need to learn their phonics in order to become fluent readers. Making this a more automated skill will free up brain power for comprehension.

• Vocabulary is more likely to stick if it is heard in context and on repeat.

• Read aloud to your kids. Kids can take in more sophisticated concepts and vocabulary through listening than reading. This goes through age 13.

• More than average amounts of social studies in elementary school are correlated with higher than average reading scores later in school.

"Kids who started with less of that academic knowledge and vocabulary, if they don't acquire it through school, they're going to fall farther and farther behind, because they're going to be limited to those simple texts. Even if there's some new vocabulary, new information in those texts, they're less likely to be able to retain it because they don't have anything for it to stick to." — Natalie Wexler

Episode References:

• The Knowledge Matters Campaign: https://knowledgematterscampaign.org/

Connect with Natalie Wexler:

Professional Bio: https://nataliewexler.com/about/

Website: https://nataliewexler.com/

Substack: https://nataliewexler.substack.com/

Books:

• Beyond the Science of Reading: https://nataliewexler.com/beyond-the-science-of-reading/

• The Knowledge Gap: https://nataliewexler.com/the-knowledge-gap/

• The Writing Revolution: https://nataliewexler.com/the-writing-revolution/twr-2-0-cover-amazon/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Amy Cooter discuss the complexities and variations within militia groups in the United States, citing examples of constitutional militias, millenarian militias, and border militias noting their varying beliefs and tendencies. Dr. Cooter also highlights how the role of nostalgia and protecting the Second Amendment rights are integral in militias’ self-perception. They discuss the difficulty in tracking militia activity, the racial undertones in these militia groups, as well as the legality and legal loopholes that many of these groups fall within.

Key Takeaways:

• Not all militias are the same. They do not have the same goals, structure, meetings, life experiences, or beliefs. Border militias tend to be more concerned about migration, whereas others, who live away from the Southern border of the US, are less concerned about immigration.

• The Second Amendment and nostalgia are two major things that tie militia groups together with a point of commonality.

• A lot of militia members aren't very religious themselves, but we have to pay attention to the way that the mythologized story of our founding and who we are as a nation connects to certain Christian mythology in ways that are getting pulled forward with different iterations of what we’re calling White Christian Nationalism.

"Most militias really see their limits at their community or even their county boundary. They tend to have only very local members to set their own agenda, even if they do coordinate, sometimes for training or other activities, with other geographically near militias." — Dr. Amy Cooter

Episode Reference:

• ProPublica Article: The Militia and the Mole by Joshua Kaplan: https://www.propublica.org/article/ap3-oath-keepers-militia-mole

Connect with Dr. Amy Cooter:

Professional Bio: middlebury.edu/institute/people/amy-cooter

Website: https://www.amycooter.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-cooter-67a9a242

Book: Nostalgia, Nationalism, and the US Militia Movement: https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-Nationalism-US-Militia-Movement/dp/1032421975

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.