A six month old baby girl and her six year old brother were taken from their homes by CPS in Michigan this week because the state sees their growing and using medical marijuana as putting the children at risk.
Photo of Bree Green, 6 months old
The exact risk? Medication and paraphernalia being left out in areas children can access? Medicating their children without just medical rationale? Hardly, claims mother Maria Green. “They were worried about the possibility of a break in or armed robbery, that kind of thing.” Gordon Green, Maria’s husband and Bree’s father, uses medical marijuana to treat his multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
Maria’s ex-husband, and father of her son, contacted CPS and filed a complaint that the Green’s home was unfit for children.
The Michigan cannabis community has rallied around the distressed family, organizing a protest outside of the state’s welfare office. A coalition of parents, students, legislators and attorneys are uniting to demand the state follow the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act which protects’ parents rights when acting in accordance with the law. Although the law was written with specific provisions built in to protect parents, Child Protective Services continues to remove children based on medical marijuana use five years after its enactment.
A similar battle is playing out across the country. The cannabis community is rallying together, supporting the families and demanding accountability and change. Sadly, change this grand takes time. Times in which children will be separated from their parents, often cared for by complete strangers while they are only allowed minimal contact with their families.
You can read more about the case and watch a Fox 2 news report on the on-going battle here.
Tags: activism, children, cps, epilepsy, Michigan, multiple sclerosis, parenting, protest, stigma, war on drugs.
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