Pot parents.

[Cerberus~]

Should people who have kids and are found out to be pot smokers have their kids taken by CPS?

Why, why not?

 

[trunks2k]

No. What should matter is whether or not they are good parents by a reasonable standard, i.e. feeding them, not beating them, making sure they get a basic education, etc. Smoking pot is not necessarily going to influence how well you care for your child.

 

[Brennin]

Should people who have kids and are found out to be pot smokers have their kids taken by CPS?

Why, why not?

No, unless it has a demonstrable deleterious effect on the children (such as neglect).

 

[katautumn]

I guess it depends on the situation. If the parent(s) only smoke pot and they aren't pushing it on their kids, blazing up in front of them or trying to sell it to their kids' friends, then no. I don't think CPS should remove those children from the home. If the parents are into street drugs which render them incapable of properly taking care of their children physically, emotionally and financially then I would consider that neglect and definitely give CPS recourse when it comes to at the very least investigating the situation further.

My dad smokes pot, always has since he was a teenager. He never took food off our table to buy it. He never smoked it in front of us. He never missed a day of work or refused to spend time with us. We never even knew he smoked pot until we were adults.

 

[butterfoot]

I guess it depends on the situation. If the parent(s) only smoke pot and they aren't pushing it on their kids, blazing up in front of them or trying to sell it to their kids' friends, then no. I don't think CPS should remove those children from the home. If the parents are into street drugs which render them incapable of properly taking care of their children physically, emotionally and financially then I would consider that neglect and definitely give CPS recourse when it comes to at the very least investigating the situation further.

My dad smokes pot, always has since he was a teenager. He never took food off our table to buy it. He never smoked it in front of us. He never missed a day of work or refused to spend time with us. We never even knew he smoked pot until we were adults.

Thats probably the exception not the norm when it comes to pot.

 

[Cerberus~]

Thats probably the exception not the norm when it comes to pot.

How would you know? There are 12 million Americans that smoke pot, what makes you qualified to determine the norms and expceptions for 12 million people you've never met?

 

[Phylogeny]

Thats probably the exception not the norm when it comes to pot.

I don't know....my suitemate had a hippie dad who was into...uhm....alternative recreation as well. He was a stay at home dad too and did pretty well raising four kids although he had a few wacky ideas like not immunizing kids or giving them milk but that has nothing to do with his pot smoking---he just had some strange ideas about health.

I also knew friends who smoked pot. It's like drinking alcohol or smoking. If abused, it can be bad, but as long as it's kept under control, it's not that bad. I believe pot has the same addictive property as tobacco and the same affect as alcohol....?

 

[flicka]

No. We, as a society, have certain minimum standards in place to ensure the basic needs of children are met and that they are not abused....and those who don't follow will have action taken against them. That leaves alot of room for differences in childrearing that nobody will ever fully agree on. The use of pot, cigs, alcohol, etc. are not indicative of parenting skills. Besides, where would we put all the kids that get taken away? It's not like we have tons options there, and foster care can be a mess. And just thinking about the implications of trying to figure out who is smoking weed and who isn't boggles my mind. The less interference from outsiders the better when it comes to raising your kids.

 

[PookySmiley]

Thats probably the exception not the norm when it comes to pot.

Why? Because most people who smoke don't do so everyday, like most people who drink don't drink everyday?

 

[trunks2k]

I believe pot has the same addictive property as tobacco and the same affect as alcohol....?

No. Pot doesn't have the same addictive property as tobacco. Tobacco is chemically addictive. Pot doesn't have anything in it that makes it chemically addictive. Addiction to pot is pretty much phsychological.

 

[wanderingone]

No.
Geesh most of my friends would have grown up in foster care if we did that.
I don't use the stuff cause well I admit to fearing criminal repurcussions. Otherwise I'd still be making ganja tea every month.. (the stuff worked wonders on cramps all my teenage and young adult years...) Not to mention helping me sleep .. for years I had bouts of insomnia.. personally think pot is less addictive than sleeping pills. Alas I am drifting off topic..

Children aren't generally removed from homes simply because a law has been broken. There has to be abuse or substantial neglect or emotional harm to merit feeling a child will be better off elsewhere.. we don't have an abundance of top notch foster parents in the US.. taking a kid away from a parent for smoking pot would add an additional flood of children in need of placement (and I bet a lot of those foster parents are lighting up themselves)

 

[wanderingone]

I don't know....my suitemate had a hippie dad who was into...uhm....alternative recreation as well. He was a stay at home dad too and did pretty well raising four kids although he had a few wacky ideas like not immunizing kids or giving them milk but that has nothing to do with his pot smoking---he just had some strange ideas about health.

I also knew friends who smoked pot. It's like drinking alcohol or smoking. If abused, it can be bad, but as long as it's kept under control, it's not that bad. I believe pot has the same addictive property as tobacco and the same affect as alcohol....?

There are quite a few parents on these boards who don't agree with vacciness. I have to agree those beliefs aren't caused by pot. Although I do have a significant number of pot smoking friends who don't own TV's, won't use cow's milk (it's for baby cows not baby people ) and think vaccines are dangerous.

My understanding has been that pot is actually less addictive than nicotine.

 

[Cerberus~]

I believe pot has the same addictive property as tobacco and the same affect as alcohol....?

Being high feels nothing like being drunk. Being high simply alters the way you think, either makes you slower or faster depending on the pot. It doesn't alter the way you act to any significant degree, it doesn't affect your coordination anywhere near the degree alcohol does. It's nothing like being drunk.

 

[Phylogeny]

Being high feels nothing like being drunk. Being high simply alters the way you think, either makes you slower or faster depending on the pot. It doesn't alter the way you act to any significant degree, it doesn't affect your coordination anywhere near the degree alcohol does. It's nothing like being drunk.

Thanks for clearing that up....my fear of fire prevents me from testing my theories.

 

[Cerberus~]

Thanks for clearing that up....my fear of fire prevents me from testing my theories.

Everyone should try it at least once.

 

[Stuco]

I searched the internet and found out that pot may be less adictive.

But.......

http://www.dea.gov/concern/marijuana_factsheet.html

The fact still remains it has very bad effects on people.

I have also witnnessed people who are doing it and are parents and I would say yes that the children should be taken away.

 

[wanderingone]

.

I have also witnnessed people who are doing it and are parents and I would say yes that the children should be taken away.

Why?

What about smoking pot puts the children in danger that would mean they should be removed from the home?

What about parents who drink or who smoke cigarettes? What about parents who take pain killers?

Where should we put the children we take away from their parents?

 

[Stuco]

Why?

What about smoking pot puts the children in danger that would mean they should be removed from the home?

What about parents who drink or who smoke cigarettes? What about parents who take pain killers?

Generally the parents are bums, abusive, and they also do the things you just mentioned above.

If you had seen the same things I have your opinion might be diffrent. I could not begin to explain it in here. Part of it Ill admit has to do with my patience and typeing skills.

Where should we put the children we take away from their parents?

Well I dont know but I have heard this excuse alot. "Its to much trouble!". Nothing will probbobly be done about it anyway. There are bums that dont smoke pot or drink or smoke and thats probbobly why nothing will get done. So I dont know why I bother.

 

[wanderingone]

Generally the parents are bums, abusive, and they also do the things you just mentioned above.

If you had seen the same things I have your opinion might be diffrent. I could not begin to explain it in here. Part of it Ill admit has to do with my patience and typeing skills.



Well I dont know but I have heard this excuse alot. "Its to much trouble!". Nothing will probbobly be done about it anyway. There are bums that dont smoke pot or drink or smoke and thats probbobly why nothing will get done. So I dont know why I bother.

You have no idea what I've seen.. I've worked 18 years in social services, starting with direct care of children in emergency placement. Pot was not a major factor in any of the placements I remember during my years in direct care, plus as I've previously said a great number of my friends growing up had parents who indulged.. a pretty normal bunch of parents and kids..

Nobody said it was "too much trouble" I asked a legitimate question.. where should we place the children taken from pot smoking parents? Surely you are aware that quality foster care is in limited supply. We need to limt children in care to those who face risk of physical abuse, and neglect and emotional harm. I really can't say there's any evidence that parents who smoke pot are abusive in general or that their children are at more risk of harm than parents who don't smoke the stuff. You don't know why you bother what?

 

[Cerberus~]

Generally the parents are bums, abusive, and they also do the things you just mentioned above.

A malicious lie.

If you had seen the same things I have your opinion might be diffrent. I could not begin to explain it in here. Part of it Ill admit has to do with my patience and typeing skills.

12 million Americans smoke pot, you met all of them?

Well I dont know but I have heard this excuse alot. "Its to much trouble!". Nothing will probbobly be done about it anyway. There are bums that dont smoke pot or drink or smoke and thats probbobly why nothing will get done. So I dont know why I bother.

What I'ld like to know is how splitting families up and taking children from their parents for trivial, made up reason is a family value?