Marijuana Blog

Divorces can be plenty messy to begin with. Add in a few kids, some run of the mill vindictiveness and a medical marijuana recommendation – and it can become a nightmare.

 

Comedian, writer and Sacramento News and Review columnist Ngaio Bealum tries to provide some clarity on the issue this week, writing that California courts are starting to go easier on pot-smoking parents.

 

“Recently, the California Courts of Appeal found that someone using marijuana did not automatically mean someone was abusing marijuana. In this case, the father (known as “Paul M.” in court records) had a recommendation for medical cannabis, and would medicate in a shed outside of the house while an adult family member watched his child. The cannabis was also kept in a locked box in the shed. Originally, the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services had ordered the father to take random drug tests, and the lower court agreed, but the appeals court reversed that decision, stating, ‘both DCFS and the trial court apparently confused the meanings of the terms ’substance use’ and ’substance abuse.’’ As it stands now, medical cannabis is being treated more and more like a regular prescription and less like a criminal offense. If you take the necessary precautions, there is no reason for you to lose custody of your kids over your cannabis use. Good luck.”

 

If you’re growing it in the same house with kids – watch out. And we would add that Child Protective Services reacts differently in every California county to adult medical marijuana use. Responsible use of the medication in San Francisco might not be an issue, whereas a parent using medical marijuana in Modoc County might still be in for a world of hurt.

 

Source: http://blog.sfgate.com