Marijuana use relating to child custody

Originally Posted by lori509 What an odd assortment of comments... Fundamental question; is using illegal drugs ground for taking away a child? The answer is yes. I'm not saying it's logical I'm not saying it's right I'm saying... It IS. Yes, they can remove the child. Justified or not it is how the world turns. Until the courts see pot the same way you do I can't see that changing in the near future. I could care less (personally) about your use but you asked a question and I attempted to answer it. The answer is yes, the courts can take away your child based upon your use of illegal drugs.

The courts can take the child away? But will they another question you or any of the ones on this site can positively answer for sure.ha ha ha

[agueldner]

My husband and I just went through a custody battle because of his use of smoking weed. It never bothered anybody till 9 years down the road. He called Child Protective services which in turn came over investigated, gave my husband and I both saliva drug screens. My husband came back positive. They made him sign a paper saying he would not use or be influenced around the kids and that was that. But we went to court and it was brought up by my ex husband. the lawyer made it sound horrible which wasn't the fact at all, but my husband was ordered to take hair follicle tests. if he came back positive I would loose custody of my child. So just becareful and use your best judgement.

[lori509]

Originally Posted by Unregistered The courts can take the child away? But will they another question you or any of the ones on this site can positively answer for sure.ha ha ha

Will they if they find out? I can say yes, they will. It's not because they consider pot right or wrong (courts rarely deal with right or wrong that's left for philosophers to figure out.. ) they deal with legal and illegal. It's illegal and yes, unless you live in Alaska in which you can legally own a small amount of pot they will take away the child (or children.)

unregistered, you are the devil in disguise. Im sorry pot has many usefull qualities. it never killed anyone. Did alcohol???? Yes. why is that legal. people on prescription drugs have killed people..... Pot is no big deal. Maybe you should smoke a joint and get off your high horse and laugh a little. it might do you dome good. I know many many people who smoke and they are good parents, hard workers, have a beautiful home and are productive citizens. this leagl crap with pot is ridiculous. Do you know how many innocent people are sitting in jail for small amounts of pot????? too many and when they pass this new law the jails will have lots fo empty beds. I get high with a little help from friends.........

My husband and I are going through a case with child services right now because of the use of marijuana. My husband smokes, but never around the kids. The kids are now 19, 16, 15, and 8. Yes, the 19 and 16 year old know he smokes. They found out when we found the drug on them. Most teens try it. My husband was a heavy drug user and drinker years ago and has been clean from all other drugs and alcohol for over 10 years. A neighbor that didn't like our dogs decided to call the cops many times on us and when that didn't work they called child services about the fact that he smokes. He admitted that he smoked, but never in front of the kids. My husband has had some depression issues in the past that the counselor put him on "legal" meds for, the meds they had him on turned him into a monster, he went through so much trying to find something that would be able to keep him calm and keep him from being depressed, until this day the only thing he has found that does that is Maijuana. Because of child services getting into our lives in the past 4 months my husband, will not leave the house because he has a problem with crouds and anger, he has ended up with a court case for assalt, let me say just one thing, child services comming into our lives have done nothing good, they feel that because he was clean he was going to take better care of our 4 children. In reality it has done just the oposite, now because he was forced by them to quite, I have a neglect charge on me for allowing him to be home alone with the kids when I knew he was using, I am sure that is better for the kids than the happy life they were living before they made my husband quite. I do understand that it is an illegal drug, but in reality, I would have rather had him smoking the illegal drug than being a zombie on the legal drugs they put him on that caused all of this, a zombie can not cook dinner for an 8 year old or play wii with them or do their homework with them. (that is what I deal with now) rather than the man I used to live with that used to have the kids homework done, all of them bathed and ready for bed when I got home from work at 9:30. Not counting the dinner I used to get every night, now I have to call and make sure one of the teen agers are home at all times and remind the 8 year old to do everything that needs to be done every night after school. They are now telling me that my husband can not handle the kids and that I need to find a way to work less hrs because if I can not be sure someone other than the teenagers are home with the youngest they do not feel he is being taken care of well enough were my husband is not able to do it anymore. I told them if they had left us alone to begin with they would have all been fine, now my 8 year old sees his dad laying on the couch all day, unable to get up from work because of his meds and I am struggling to keep my family together, ya, that was much better for the kids. Sometime child services will be ok with it, sometimes they won't, it depends on the case worker and the state, so be very carefull with what you do.

I thing it is a very uninformed and unintelligent thing to assume that marijuana has no risk or side effects other than laughter and hunger.

Please note that I am a daily marijuana user. I use it illegally mostly for nausea and live in the pot capital of california.

However, Marijuana producers do not care about your health. They will use miracle grow and pesticides all which you are consuming into your body. Havent you seen a marijuana user after 30 plus years of use? Besides the health and legal risks (especially if you live outside northern cali) marijuana affects the visual and auditory systems and very much so can be a factor in depression and depending on your income can affect your financial stability.

And to the person who said " number one marijuana has no side effects" your full of it. There have been cases of parents smoking a J when suddenly the unsupervised child wanders off the balcony to their death.

ADD
Depression
Lung Cancer
Paranoia
Anxiety
Seizures

There are many side effects associated with marijuana however when used in a cautious manner. (some people honestly thing its cool to act stupid and more stoned than they actually are) Marijuana is probably one of the safest medicines you can consume all things considered. It just gets really annoying with all these activists who dont even reside here in the pot capital of the U.S. downplaying any and all risks associated with it.

#1 It just occured to me that most people are not informed about brain activity when it is under the influence of marijuana and when it isn't. As a person who studies the brain and its many functions, I tell you all that there is a great amount of difference in the way the brain functions when it is under the influence of marijuana, alcohol or any other drug. Take advice from me, I'm a brain expert.

Now, if you consider that marijuana is so safe, then I advise you to prove it! But not until then, will it remain illegal, whether you like it or not.

#2 Also remember, there are laws that protect children, abide by them or expect consequenses. If you use marijuana or any other illegal drug and want custody of any child/ren, shame on you!

As a defender of children's rights I do pray that God helps you to change your ways so that no innocent child will be left in such evil hands.

It is a sad reality many children face nowadays: 1) they have to live with parent (s) who use drugs illegaly around them (whether in front of them or not, it is NOT fair to the child to be around drug user(s)! 2) or they have to go to foster care.

If you want to use drugs, fine, but don't ask to have children around you. Again, SHAME ON YOU!

A brain expert you say? Is that an official title?

Marijuana is not illegal because it's not "considered safe". It is illegal because it is a naturally growing plant that the pharmaceutical companies cannot patent. It's really as simple as that. Anyone who believes otherwise hasn't put on their thinking cap yet.

Alcohol is legal and prescription medications are legal and yet both have been responsible for more deaths than any other drug related death on the planet. I've yet to pick up the paper and read the headline, Pot smoker causes fatal accident. Or Pot Smoker found dead in his apartment from overdose, or Pot Smoker's violence ends in tragedy. To wit, watch your television and watch how many ads for prescription medications runs in a 2 minute time slot. Listen for all the side effects, many life threatening. Also watch how many alcohol sponsored commercials there are. Many people pop pills without even questioning the ingredients but will go to the store and check diligently for ingredients listed on food labels. We're a peculiar species huh?

I'm not an advocate of any substance that alters mind perception. I believe feeling good comes from inner contentedness. I'm certainly not a fan of marijuana. I do however, know that it's only illegal from a pharmaceutical standpoint and not because the "government" cares about our welfare. If that were the case, alcohol and its devastating effects would not be government pushed and government sponsored. State run liquor store anyone?

Does any drug belong around a child? No. But the fact remains that people do it everyday and right now, as I type this and you read it, there are parents doing atrocious things around their children. Can we stop it, eradicate it? No. We must keep in mind that we live in a flawed, real world.

Oh this is sooo stupid! I have never smoked pot, nor do I intend to. If my children smoke it, they will be punished, just as they would for smoking a ciggarette. That being said- the laws are ridiculous! It is LEGAL in Alaska to smoke pot. No charge whatsoever. Yet, your children can be taken away for the same thing in another state in within the SAME COUNTRY! Whether you are for the use of marajuana or not, if you have any common sense at all, you can see that that is ridiculous!

Originally Posted by Unregistered unregistered, you are the devil in disguise. Im sorry pot has many usefull qualities. it never killed anyone. Did alcohol???? Yes. why is that legal. people on prescription drugs have killed people..... Pot is no big deal. Maybe you should smoke a joint and get off your high horse and laugh a little. it might do you dome good. I know many many people who smoke and they are good parents, hard workers, have a beautiful home and are productive citizens. this leagl crap with pot is ridiculous. Do you know how many innocent people are sitting in jail for small amounts of pot????? too many and when they pass this new law the jails will have lots fo empty beds. I get high with a little help from friends.........

This poster is arguing the moral merits of marijuana use, when it's not about that. It's strange how people jump into a whole new topic when the topic at hand is the fact that, regardless of anyone's opinion on the health risks or benefits of pot, it is currently,, by law,, an illegal substance. Like it or not, agree or not, it's illegal.

Children should not be subjected to anything that is harmful to them, but the fact remains that they are.

If the parent is engaging in substance abuse of any kind, and it is proven, the child may be removed from the home. Substance of abuse of ANY kind is dangerous for the child.

The poster quoted above appears to have forgotten that in his/her own bid to rationalize their own selfish habits.