MJ News for 03/13/2014

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.cnn.com/2014/03/12/health/medical-marijuana-parents/

Does medical marijuana equal bad parenting?​

Napa, California (CNN) -- Shawnee's voice is shrill, quavering -- on the edge of desperate. She clutches her 11-month-old son while trying to comprehend the situation unfolding in front of her.

Her boyfriend -- her child's father, Aaron -- is in handcuffs.

"Why are you doing this?" she pleads with police officers standing on the lawn outside her home.

"Your baby doesn't need to be subjected to marijuana," an officer replies, in an audio recording made by Shawnee on her cell phone.

But she could explain: The couple have legal prescriptions for the marijuana in their home. His is prescribed for anxiety and chronic pain; hers for depression and anxiety.

"I told them we had our cards, our prescriptions," said Shawnee, 27. "They didn't want to see them."

Not long after that exchange, according to police video of the family's encounter, a social worker arrived at the home and decided to place the child in foster care. CNN is not using Shawnee and Aaron's last names or the name of their child because of the ongoing child protection case.

"I was pleading with them, 'Look, you guys, I understand your perception, but we are wonderful parents, hardworking members of our community,'" said Aaron, 34.

"They could not conceive of the fact that you can be a wonderful parent, a decent human being, and medicate with marijuana."

For agencies enlisted to protect children, marijuana in the home has for decades been an invitation for serious speculation about a parent's fitness.

But as the narrative of medical marijuana legalization unfolds across the country, so does a complicated parallel story of patients whose children are being removed to protective custody -- or worse, permanently removed -- ostensibly because of their legal marijuana use. Most medical marijuana legislation does not seem to account for this possibility.

"The judges, the police, CPS (child protective services) have been fighting this war on drugs for so long," said Maria Green, a medical marijuana patient in Lansing, Michigan, whose infant daughter Bree was placed in foster care last year.

"They just can't get it out of their minds that this is an 'evil' drug they have to fight against."

To be sure, each case has unique circumstances, and child welfare officials at both the state and local level do not comment about specific cases while they are in process, or even once they are closed.

Further complicating the picture: While medical marijuana use is legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration classifies the drug as a Schedule I substance with "no currently accepted medical use in the United States" and high potential for abuse.

In cases involving removal of children, medical marijuana found in the home would seem to be barely distinguishable from other Schedule I substances -- such as heroin or ecstasy.

"CPS handles (cases) the same way regardless of what the drug ... is," said Michael Weston, deputy director of public affairs and outreach programs at the California Department of Social Services. "Everything is weighed in reference to, 'Is this a danger to the child? Is there a potential harm to the child? Is this showing signs of abuse or neglect?'"

There is early data, according to a researcher, suggesting a small increase in child poisonings among medical marijuana patients in states where it is legal. And early epidemiological data draws a link between medical cannabis use and increased corporal punishment and physical abuse -- but not neglect.

"We really don't know what's going on," said Bridget Freisthler, an associate professor in the department of social welfare at UCLA, who studies medical marijuana use among parents.

"We don't know whether (medical marijuana) affects parenting or whether caseworkers need to be concerned when they find out this is happening in the home."

Parents fighting to maintain custody of their children say the mere presence of medical marijuana is an almost reflexive trigger for removal.

They cite scores of anecdotes concentrated in states where medical cannabis is legal -- children removed from homes where cannabis is used or grown; babies testing positive for marijuana at birth and subsequently removed; children removed because mothers breastfed at the same time that they used medical marijuana.

"Marijuana use does not make someone a bad parent," said Sara Arnold, co-founder of the Family Law and Cannabis Alliance. "It should not be the primary or sole basis for any Child Protective Services investigation."

But simply having a medical marijuana card does not mean that that patient is
acting responsibly with the medication; nor does the mere presence of marijuana imply lack of safety, according to experts.

"Medical marijuana as a risk factor by itself doesn't mean the child isn't safe," said Michael Piraino, chief executive officer of National CASA for Children, an advocacy group for abused and neglected children. "Most kids have had risk factors but remain safe.

"But how do you put together all these pieces of information, of evidence, that a child is or isn't safe?"

Medical marijuana refugees: 'This was our only hope'

The answers can be as variable as the homes where medical marijuana is used.

Piraino says issues related to medical marijuana use and parenthood have started to come up for his agency, but not yet in a significant way.

He notes that any drug in the home carries risks, including potential lack of attention to children's needs and physical danger stemming from possible ingestion, but that the extent of those risks with medical marijuana is not clear.

Aaron and Shawnee bristle at the ongoing debate about their parenting, and worse, the notion that their use of cannabis could raise concerns about abuse or neglect of their child. They say their son is healthy, happy and nurtured.

What brought police officers to their home in early January, they say, was an anomaly -- a loud argument. The clamor was heard by a neighbor, who called the police.

When officers later entered their home to investigate, they discovered loose marijuana, cannabis oil, and marijuana cigarettes strewn on the desk in the couple's living room. The living room smelled like marijuana. (Aaron says the smell was lingering from the couple medicating the night before, after their son fell asleep.)

"What I want you to understand is your baby doesn't need to be subject to marijuana," said one officer in the police video.

Shawnee responds, "What makes you think he is?"

"Because your house really smelled bad of marijuana," said the officer.

The smell of marijuana, a home in a disarray, medical cannabis that was visible -- albeit out of the boy's reach -- are the roots of the ongoing case against them.

"We would never allow our children to get into our medical marijuana," said Aaron, adding that he believes stigma against the plant is at the heart of his and other cases. "If (law enforcement and CPS) had come in, even if it was a couple of empty beer bottles or a wine bottle, I don't think anybody would have raised an eyebrow.

"I had the impression that we had turned this corner," he added. "That we had moved past that stigma."

"Is the child happy? Is the child loved? Is the child well cared for?" said Arnold, who stressed that she has no specific information about Shawnee and Aaron's case, but views it through the lens of countless other families she's counseled. "Marijuana on a desk does not mean they're abusing or neglecting the child."

Nor does growing and using marijuana, said Green, the Michigan mother whose 6-month-old daughter was removed from her custody for two months last September.

According to Michigan law, both Green and her husband, Steve, are allowed to use cannabis medically -- she to treat multiple sclerosis, her husband to treat epilepsy. And she is allowed to grow a certain number of plants to supply to other patients.

Green says the plants were grown behind a locked door -- the children never had access to them -- and the couple never medicated in front of the children. They kept the marijuana they used locked up.

She says a custody battle with her ex-husband, involving a son from a previous marriage, led CPS to her door, and she says despite the pains they had taken to shield their children from the marijuana, Bree was removed from the home and assigned to protective custody.

A major issue debated during the case: whether marijuana plants grown in the Green home increased the danger of armed robbery and thus posed a serious safety issue for children in the home -- in other words, whether theoretical risk of harm to a child constitutes a serious safety concern.

Green and other advocates say that theoretical, potential risk is not enough.

"I find it very scary that parents can have children taken away for something that's a potential," said Arnold.

As a consequence of Bree's removal, Maria and Steve Green were ordered to stop using medical cannabis. She says she suffered some pain and had to use a walker at intervals, but Steve was worse off. He suffered nine or 10 seizures during the two months Bree spent in foster care.

"You've got these parents having to choose between their medicine and their family," said Arnold. "That's an impossible choice, especially if your medicine makes you functional enough to parent."

Green says that medical marijuana patients may not realize the risk of a run-in with CPS. She advises patients not to become too lax, and to realize that not everyone -- including law enforcement, CPS, and the judicial system -- views the marijuana plant through the same lens.

"Think about what are you doing with the meds, where are you smoking, who is watching your kids when you're smoking or under the influence?" said Green.

"Have those things in place."

"My advice to parents is to really go out of your way to make sure (your children) are not exposed to it."

After spending a few days in jail -- and their son spending 12 days in foster care -- Aaron and Shawnee say they now understand.

They are setting aside their views about marijuana as a medical treatment, and view it -- at least temporarily -- as a potential barrier to maintaining their family unit.

That does not ease their confusion about the law, or their conviction that the plant has medicinal value.

"There are families out there ... destroyed over a medicinal plant," said Aaron.

"It's baffling."

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/13/pot-connection-colorado-schools-deny-spike-in-applications-sparked-by-marijuana/

Colorado schools deny spike in applications sparked by marijuana law​

Colorado colleges and universities have seen a dramatic jump in applications, including from out of state, following the legalization of marijuana, but officials insist there’s no drug connection.

Applications to the University of Colorado are up 30 percent since Amendment 64 made recreational pot legal, according to Director of Admissions Kevin MacLennan. But while several marijuana advocates told FoxNews.com it is hardly surprising that the Centennial State would become a mecca for college-bound tokers, MacLennan disagrees.

“We aren’t getting a lot of questions about this,” MacLennan said, referring to the new law.

He said a better explanation for the rise in applications is increased recruitment at high schools across the country and abroad and the university’s adoption of the Common Application, which facilitates students’ ability to apply to multiple schools around the nation using a single form.

“Some of the kids I’ve talked to back home think it’s a big deal, like ‘Oh my god, you can smoke legally.’”
- Kate Brickley, University of Colorado senior from Oakland, Calif.

Colorado College has also seen a rise in applications, but Mark Hatch, vice president for enrollment, said it is part of a longer-term trend.

“This year is no different, so there is no evidence that our increase [is tied] to Amendment 64,” Hatch told FoxNews.com in an email.

Hatch fears the new pot law could actually be a drag on applications, as out-of-state parents reject the idea of their tuition money going up in smoke.

But both students and marijuana advocates say graduates looking to experience Rocky Mountain high is not such a bad thing.

“I don’t know that students would apply here solely because of the new law, but if they were choosing between two comparable schools, I could see them choosing University of Colorado because of that,” said Kathryn Krempasky, a 21-year-old senior from Denver.

Kate Brickley, a 22-year-old senior at University of Colorado, from Oakland, California, agreed. “Some of the kids I’ve talked to back home think it’s a big deal, like ‘Oh my god, you can smoke legally,’” she said.

Parents don’t like to admit it, but students going off to college to party is hardly new. Rachel Gillette, executive director of the Colorado chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said smoking pot in college has an appeal for students similar to drinking.

“I can see how Amendment 64 could be an incentive for some prospective students to apply to college in the State of Colorado,” Gillette said. “From a college student’s perspective, we can analogize it to alcohol. Young people do appreciate freedom.”

But incoming freshman would be wise to read up on the state law, which went into full effect Jan. 1, 2014, and to learn campus rules as well. The law forbids marijuana possession by anyone under 21, and all colleges and universities in the state have policies forbidding use or possession on campus. And many localities -- including Colorado Springs, where Colorado College is located -- have banned the sale of marijuana for recreational use.

In addition to their own codes of conduct, Colorado schools are citing the Controlled Substances Act, the Drug-Free Workplace Act, and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act as federal statutes that prohibit marijuana’s use on their campuses. In a “frequently asked questions” section of its website, Colorado College also notes that a federal drug-related conviction could render students ineligible for federal financial aid.

“I have a hard time believing that someone is going to make that kind of significant decision about investing in their education based on whether they can smoke marijuana in the state,” said Mike Hooker, spokesman for Colorado State University, located in Fort Collins. “There may be some water cooler talk about what effect Amendment 64 might have, but we believe there are more significant factors that drive enrollment decisions.”

University of Denver has seen an 81 percent increase in the number of applicants over the past five years, according to spokesman Will Jones. He rejected the idea that the new law played a role, but acknowledged the school has gotten calls from parents outside the state who have asked about its pot policy. He tells them marijuana is just as forbidden on campus now as it was a year ago.

“Even with passage of Amendment 64, there will be no change in policy,” Jones said.

It’s not clear what concerns those parents could be expressing, however. Clearly, many parents don’t want their kids smoking pot, but others may be resigned to it, said NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre.

“In a Hobson’s choice-type way, parents might be chagrined by their child’s marijuana use but still prefer that the child go to school in a state where it is legal as opposed to a state where the child will be punished and face the entire loss of their investment in a college education,” he said. “There can be a really cogent argument that it could be an incentive to apply to schools where marijuana use is legal and students are not considered criminals.”

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/12/marijuana-oil-bill-passes-ky-senate/6353389/

Marijuana oil bill passes Ky. Senate​

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Lawmakers appear ready to make marijuana oil legal in Kentucky, after the state Senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that would make the controversial extract available to treat children with uncontrollable seizures.

House leaders say they expect the measure to pass that chamber as well.

The bill, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Julie Denton, would allow the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville medical schools to conduct research and allow anyone enrolled in a U.S. Food and Drug Administration trial to be treated with marijuana oil.

"This'll help us tremendously," said Laureen Vassil of Lexington, who considered going to Colorado — where the oil is legal — to seek treatment for daughter Allison, 15, who has had uncontrollable seizures for 10 years.

Denton said the bill is aimed at assisting such children, "who sometimes have hundreds of seizures a day, and these children are going to be doomed to a lifetime of cognitive disability or even death."

Denton said the oil, administered orally under the tongue, has been shown to provide relief to children in severe cases. The oil contains low amounts of THC, the perception-altering ingredient in marijuana.

The bill appears to have a good chance of passing the House, where Democratic Speaker Greg Stumbo said he hasn't heard of any opposition.

"It likely will get a lot of support," he said. "We hear the stories from the families."

The measure also has the support of Gov. Steve Beshear and the Kentucky State Police.

Debbie McGrath, who is executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana, said about 30,000 children in the state have epilepsy and about a third have the severe seizures targeted by the bill.

McGrath and Denton both said they don't know when trials would begin if the bill becomes law.

During the debate, Republican Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a former prosecutor, said he is convinced that the bill is necessary, citing the story of a baby named from his church who has seizures. Her family went to Oregon for the oil and it helped, he said.

"I want to make sure they have an opportunity to do that here," he said.

Democratic Sen. Perry Clark, an outspoken proponent of medical marijuana, voted for the bill but has said it doesn't go far enough.

"Families in Kentucky are uprooting their lives and taking their children to Colorado," Clark said. "To do this measure really only shortchanges science and it shortchanges medicine."

A broader House bill was sent last week to the Judiciary Committee rather than a floor vote, which its sponsor, Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, said was tantamount to killing it.

Denton has said she believes the limited approach is all that can pass both chambers and actually help people right away.

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/colorados-first-marijuana-industry-job-fair-to-be-held-in-denver-thursday

Colorado's first marijuana industry job fair to be held in Denver Thursday​

DENVER - Colorado's first marijuana industry job fair is being held in Denver Thursday and job seekers are expected to turn out in droves.

"Line already forming outside O.penVape for #marijuana job fair," 7NEWS Reporter Lindsey Sablan tweeted at 9:15 a.m.

Sablan said three of the seven people she talked to are from out of state.

The CannaSearch job fair will feature 15 large marijuana-related companies that are hoping to hire new employees for a range of multiple positions, from "budtender to bookkeeper." Other positions are available in accounting, technology, advertising and selling the drug.

All potential employees must be 21 or older.

The job fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 1058 Delaware St. in Denver.

The event on Thursday is expected to draw about 700 job seekers.

According to our partners at the Denver Post, use of marijuana is prohibited in line or at the fair.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/12/americans-think-that-even_n_4949974.html

Even Sugar Is More Harmful Than Marijuana, Americans Say
​

Of all the vices a person can indulge in, which is the least bad for your health? According to a new survey from NBC News/The Wall Street Journal, Americans believe that marijuana is the most benign -- in fact, many believe it's even less harmful than sugar.

Those surveyed were asked which substance "is the most harmful to a person's overall health": marijuana, sugar, tobacco or alcohol?

Forty-nine percent of respondents said that tobacco was the most dangerous. Alcohol came in at 24 percent, followed by sugar at 15 percent. Only 8 percent of those surveyed said marijuana was the most dangerous.

High alcohol consumption is indeed linked with a number of grave health problems, including heart disease, liver disease, a weakened immune system and elevated risks of developing cancer. There are also about 88,000 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use each year in the United States.

Similarly, there's a laundry list of well-documented adverse health effects related to tobacco use, which harms nearly every organ in the body and causes the deaths of nearly 480,000 people in the U.S. annually.

But perhaps what's most surprising is that Americans think sugar poses a greater health risk than a drug that the federal government classifies among "the most dangerous" substances available, alongside heroin and LSD.

On the other hand, considering the health effects associated with, say, drinking a lot of soda -- which can lead to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and ultimately heart disease, stroke and even death -- Americans may be onto something here.

Sugar, an additive to many kinds of food and drink, is difficult to avoid. The American Heart Association recommends that women get no more than 100 of their daily calories from added sugars, while for men the upper limit is 150 calories. However, for many people around the world, added sugars are contributing an additional 500 calories a day.

Sugary sodas can be so dangerous, doctors say that soda intake should be limited to less than one can of soda per day.

And what about marijuana? The drug is not without some health risks. Excessive use can lead to respiratory discomfort (although the drug itself does not impair lung function). Among people prone to the development of psychosis, research has shown that smoking pot can lead to an earlier onset of the disorder. And there's understandable concern about adolescent marijuana use and its effects on the developing brain.

Still, in at least 10,000 years of human consumption, there have been no documented deaths as a result of marijuana overdose. It only takes 10 times the recommended serving of alcohol to lead to death, a recreational drug study from American Scientist found. By contrast, a marijuana smoker would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC in a joint in order to be at risk of dying, according to a 1988 ruling from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Meanwhile, a number of studies in recent years have demonstrated the medical potential of pot. Purified forms of cannabis can be effective at attacking some forms of aggressive cancer. Marijuana use has also been tied to better blood sugar control, and may help slow the spread of HIV. Legalization of the plant for medical purposes may even lead to lower suicide rates.

"Anyone who takes a truly objective look at the evidence surrounding these substances could not possibly arrive at any other conclusion," Mason Tvert, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project, told The Huffington Post. "The public's understanding of marijuana is more in line with the facts than ever before. Marijuana is not entirely harmless, but there is no longer any doubt that it poses far less harm to the consumer than many of the legal products engrained in American culture."