Category Archives: Child Endangerment

Children of Stoner Parents Fall, More Likely to Fail

(Read Part 1, in this series about the older children of pot-using parents, Custody issues, and Part 2, children in fires and BHO explosions. )

Teen Who Ate Mom’s Pot Fell Off Balcony; Boy Drowned in Canada

On April 14 in Fort Collins, Colorado, a 19-year-old fell off the 3rd floor balcony after ingesting a marijuana edible his mother had given him.    Austin Essig survived the fall, but what about his mom’s judgment?    

It is not clear who gave or sold marijuana to Haven Dubois, a 14-year-old boy in Saskatchewan who drowned, but his mother wishes that police had investigated more thoroughly. There were other teens with him, but did the police even try to get the bottom of the issue?    “It’s so easy for them to brush it aside. It’s just another dead Indian to them.”   Pamela McColl of SAM Canada would like to see those who provide marijuana to teens who suffer harm held accountable, the same way those who give drinks to young people are held responsible for fatal accidents.  (McColl is the editor of On Marijuana which contains important essays by international specialists such as Mary Brett of the United Kingdom.) Continue reading Children of Stoner Parents Fall, More Likely to Fail

Vermont Legislators Ignore the Evidence About Marijuana

Vermont legislators are expected to take up legislation to legalize pot this month, but they should examine the evidence and stop looking at dollar signs.  Marijuana causes car accidents and is known as a trigger for mental health problems and psychosis.

On August 7,  2015, Jody Herring of Barre killed four people.   It was the worst recent case of violence in our nation’s second least populous state.  Herring had mental health issues and a drug problem,  with marijuana the substance most evident in her history.  (Lancet Psychiatry Journal published February 16 2015 study  that 1/4 of incidences of first-time psychosis in London over 6 years were triggered by  marijuana use. Herring had been using for a long time.)

At least 3 others who died in Vermont this past year — Richard Tom, Joseph Marshall, Lance Magoon — were in crashes involving stoned drivers.   In 2014, one third of all traffic fatalities Continue reading Vermont Legislators Ignore the Evidence About Marijuana

BHO Fires, Other Dangers for Older Children of Stoner Parents

(Read Part1 of this series on older children with pot-using parents. Upload our fact sheet about children’s death related to marijuana use.)

Infants and toddlers are vulnerable to negligence and abuse by marijuana-using parents. How are older children vulnerable?  In Gresham, Oregon on September 25, a mother suffering from anxiety who used marijuana several times a day, shot and killed her 17-year-old son.  The recently-divorced mom was losing her home, had quit her job and was suffering from anxiety. The stress of her situation is understandable, but marijuana is the wrong way to cope with stress.  It ultimately increases anxiety and can lead to psychosis, too.

BHO Fires are a Threat to Children

Another big problem is butane hash oil fires. Two years ago in Medford, Oregon, a 12-year old girl jumped out of the second story window and sustained several broken bones Continue reading BHO Fires, Other Dangers for Older Children of Stoner Parents

Can Stoner Parents be Good Parents? Keep Custody?

Are the older children of stoner parents in danger of abuse and neglect like the younger ones?  Last year in Minnesota, a nine-year-old girl walked to the police station and told police about her parents who were growing, smoking and selling marijuana. She said the smell of the smoke was making her sick.

In Tennessee, a 15-year-old boy lived in fear of violent father. He confided in a friend’s family that he was afraid to go home. The friend’s mom told police, who went to investigate child abuse. They accidentally found a whole lot more, discovering a huge, indoor marijuana grow. Marijuana activists claim that stoners are calm and non-violent. The evidence suggests otherwise. Continue reading Can Stoner Parents be Good Parents? Keep Custody?