ELLSWORTH, Maine — A Sullivan woman whose son was placed in foster care after he took her marijuana-laced brownies to his school and shared them with friends was told in court Friday evening that her son would remain in protective custody for the time being.
Aside from the custody issue, Amanda Hiser, 32, is facing criminal charges in connection with the incident and still has to contend with her lupus, which she says is why she had the pot brownies to begin with. Hiser is not an authorized medical marijuana user in Maine, but a pro-medical marijuana group that has learned of her situation is offering to help arrange and pay for a visit with a doctor who can approve her as a medical marijuana patient.
Hiser, a single mother, had hoped would allow her 13 year-old son, who just started eighth grade at Mountain View School in Sullivan, to return home.
“That’s the main, important thing,” Hiser said Thursday evening. “I would like him home as soon as possible.”
But an Ellsworth District Court Judge ruled on Friday evening, after the usual court closing time, that there would still be an “immediate risk” to returning the boy to his mother’s care, said Hiser’s attorney, Ferdinand Slater.
Friday’s preliminary hearing was private and, citing confidentiality rules, Slater would not divulge details of why the court ruled as it did.
“We’ll be working with the [Department of Health and Human Services] to alleviate their concerns between now and the jeopardy hearing,” Slater said. At that hearing, a judge will decide whether the child will remain in the department’s care. It must be held within 120 days, but has yet to be scheduled, Slater said.
Slater said Hiser has seen her son, and that he is working with DHHS to schedule regular visitation. Hiser could not be reached for comment Friday.
Hiser was arrested Oct. 30 on a charge of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs because of the incident earlier that day in which, she says, her son accidentally took the brownies to school as a snack. Her son was placed in foster care the same day by DHHS and has been in foster care since.
Her son and several other students also were suspended from school for the incident.
In addition to the trafficking charge, Hiser has been charged with possession of a hypodermic device — a charge she and police have declined to elaborate on.
Hiser claims that because of her lupus, she suffers from kidney failure, experiences nausea, has joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis, and has to receive regular blood transfusions. She cannot take pharmaceutical painkillers because of her kidney issues and the marijuana helps with her pain and nausea, she has said.
She has said she has had difficulty coming up with the money she needs for an appointment with a doctor who can authorize medical marijuana use. She and her son had been living off $350 a month they received in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding but, she said, the money has stopped coming since her son was placed in foster care. She says she has no other income. She says she has applied to Social Security for disability benefits but has yet to be approved.
Patrick Sullivan, a spokesman for pro-medical marijuana group Compassionate Caregivers of Maine, indicated Thursday in an email that the group is helping Hiser get an appointment with a doctor authorized to approve patients for medical marijuana use.
“CCM is also paying for the visit via a patient fund that we have set up in order to try to help low-income patients to afford consultations which can cost anywhere from $150-300 for the initial visit and another $100-200 for follow-up visits which happen at least annually, sometimes more frequently,” Sullivan wrote in the email.
Sullivan added that getting approved for medical marijuana often poses significant financial hurdles for patients who have few, if any, other options.
“A patient that is on state assistance for example, may live on less than $1,000 in monthly income and simply cannot afford $300 in order to see a physician that will look objectively at medical marijuana as part of a treatment plan,” Sullivan wrote. “Even with the sliding scale that some physicians offer, there remains an underserved segment of the patient pool that simply cannot get the help they need.”
Hiser’s son still faces disciplinary action by the school. RSU 24 has scheduled a student expulsion hearing as part of its next regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at Ellsworth High School.
In keeping with the RSU’s policy of not disclosing information about individual students, RSU officials have not indicated which student is the subject of the hearing. But Hiser said Thursday that the hearing is for her son and that he could get expelled.
RSU 24 Superintendent Suzanne Lukas has said several students were suspended for varying lengths of time in connection with the Oct. 30 incident. She has declined to say how many students are involved or to say how long the suspensions are for.
Follow BDN reporter Bill Trotter on Twitter at @billtrotter. BDN reporter Mario Moretto contributed to this report.
Glad someone stepped up to help this lady who clearly is having health issue. The hypodermic issue concerns me but if she was supplementing drugs to fight the pain the hopefully she will be drug tested not make sure she just has Cannabis in her system and nothing else. As for the kid taking the brownies….I am sure he was well aware and shared it with his friends for a laugh and received punishment accordingly as they should
Why should she be drug tested?
So that court is satisfied that she is not a danger to her kid and that cannabis is the only this she is using to help fight the pain. She can get her case on the STAT docket (I think they call it deferred dispostion here) mean if she stay out of trouble (I.E. drug tested to make sure she is not using other drugs) when after a period of time, the charges are thrown out and she is back to where she was before the state got involved.
Get drug tested to prove her own innocence? What is wrong with this picture? Clue: basic constitutional rights of Americans.
A person is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This is exhibit A in the argument that the laws against marijuana do more harm than the drug itself. Taking her child away for this minor offense is the epitome of overkill.
Absolutely. I agree. How incredibly destructive to take a child from their home.
Dont you just wish that the State of Maine and it’s so-called brand of justice would work this hard to give harsh sentences to child molesters, murderers, and drug dealers? I mean honestly, lets prove how tough we are by locking up a woman dying of three different diseases and while we are at it, lets take the only love in her life away too to prove how big and bad we are. DISGUSTING!!!!
I completely agree with you. I don’t use marijuana for any purpose, BUT it has it’s place for medicinal use. If it came up to a vote I’d vote “yes” to make it legal.
…or even people driving after their third suspension!
I would agree if this was the only reason he was taken from the home, but if you read between the lines I am guessing there were other reasons as well. Just hope she does the things she needs to do to get her son back as well as doing what she needs to do to take care of her health.
I never agree with you hank, but your right. I wonder if a 13 year old would be taken from his home if he stole one of Dad’s PBR tall boys and brought it to school to share with his buddies? Things need to change.
Maybe there is more to the story than the one that has made the papers. The pot brownies are only what we know about.
Yes you are 100%right in your statement. And the fact that this mom is sick and has no avenue for help is also wrong. But the law is the law. She was wrong to have the marijuana in her house and jeopardize her family. Now to take her son is also wrong. There is no place in foster care that is safer then him being with his mom. Lets hope that CCM will be able to help her with this major snafu. Her son needs to be with his mom and mom needs to have medical care to make this issue legal. Until laws can be changed this kind of thing will happen.
….
Give
the lady back her son! This is ridiculous…. I am also very happy
someone is stepping in to help her out… I think DHHS needs to smoke a
little pot and relax a bit….. Punish the kids with suspension at
school, not being expelled, and move on with your lives… I’m sure mom
will be grounding her son for what he did and I bet he wont do that
again….
Give
the lady back her son! This is ridiculous…. I am also very happy
someone is stepping in to help her out… I think DHHS needs to smoke a
little pot and relax a bit….. Punish the kids with suspension at
school, not being expelled, and move on with your lives… I’m sure mom
will be grounding her son for what he did and I bet he wont do that
again….
Had the boy taken a more deadly drug of his mothers to school, namely alcohol, the mother and son would still be united.
Unless there is more to this story than we should know at this time, I hope DHHS doesn’t try to make some sort of example out of this woman.
Unless endangered,parents and children belong together.
Expelling the boy does more harm then good. Suspending and punishment by Mom at his home would be much more effective. Glad she is getting help and support.
I am also glad she is finally getting some help. I hope the gov’t quits harassing her now and lets her live in piece with her son. Punishment should fit the crime and this punishment is way over the top.
” ‘ police say: medical marijuana from Maine has shown up in Walpole,Ma. being sold illegally ‘ ”
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121012/NEWS11/121019912/-1/NEWS
Remember, the criminal justice systems existence is based upon criminalizing activity. Which then leads to justification of their existence and cries to increase the workforce to handle the larger workload which leads to prisons full of inmates….
The puppets in BLUE will say anything to validate their purpose.
So, why are there police in Maine that want to legalize POT? If legalizing POT would decrease their existence and lead to police layoffs,according to the contrasting of your logic to why the “puppets in BLUE will say anything to validate their purpose”
“So, why are there police in Maine that want to legalize POT?”
Because individuals in a cohort do not necessarily conform to all the mores of that cohort. Not that i expect you to comprehend that explanation.
So what? Are we supposed to believe that in the absence of Maine’s medicinal cannabis patient protection law that there wouldn’t be any pot in Walpole?
So what? It is illegal. It is illegal to have a prescription for medicine, then sell it on the street.
So what? Because it is one of the prohibitionists’ favorite pieces of hysterical rhetoric that we’d see significantly more youth choosing to enjoy cannabis before they reach their majority. They point to examples like this case as proof of that happening so yes, it makes a huge difference whether the child in Walpole would have been able to acquire pot from a black market vendor. There’s no shortage of cannabis in the world, not even close.
“Because it is one of the prohibitionists’ favorite pieces of hysterical rhetoric that we’d see significantly more youth choosing to enjoy cannabis before they reach their majority. ”
Which implies that more youth would choose to enjoy cannabis if only they could find some. The problem with that logic is the only way cannabis could be more accessible to youth is… well, there is no way to make it more accessible to youth. Just ask them.
Here is a story I saw on the news the other night about a new medical marijuana that is practically THC-free so the high isn’t there, but the anti-nausea, pain relieving effects of the drug are. I would be much more willing to support a medication that didn’t have the psychotropic side-effects. For those who truly need and want it for legitimate reasons, they shouldn’t care about not getting the high.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/israeli-grown-plant-offers-marijuana-high/story?id=16706085#.UJ0I-CqtOCc
…..
Medical marijuana patients are instructed that it is better to smoke small amounts frequently through the day rather than smoking a large amount at one time and getting high. The key to success is to have relief from the suffering with the smallest amount possible so that one can function, work, do what needs to be done.
For some who are battling terminal illness or permanent injury/illness, they also benefit from the anti-depressive, anti-anxiety part that THC provides.
They interviewed several people on the news who used the THC-free variety, including an 80+ year-old woman who swore by it’s effect. Actually, it’s the THC that can increase anxiety and panic attacks since it’s classified as a psychotropic, or mind-altering substance and has properties of a stimulant, depressant, and hallucinogen. Any of these classifications can aggravate depression or anxiety. It’s the CBD in marijuana that has an antipsychotic effect-which can reduce anxiety and has even been found to be an effective treatment for those with schizophrenia. So, the article I posted supports my arguement.
…..
I just thought that the getting high part was what was helping these people…..If you take out the THC they don’t get high and forget their pain? I am not being a wise guy, I just wondered….
00
Because they can’t put anything on the internet that isn’t true……………..
Did I state my knowledge is solely based on the internet?
“You should do some research online, what you will find is very helpful.”
YowsaYowsaYowsa 5 hours ago in reply to Vesta
Because they can’t put anything on the internet that isn’t true……………..
……
People with powerful Google-fu know how to filter the valid information from the dreck on the interwebs. Just sayin’….
“Actually, it’s the THC that can increase anxiety and panic attacks”
This is innacurate – it’s the lack of CBD, not the amount of THC that induces anxiety in some users.
There are cannabis cultivars, whose effects are referred to as “racy” in the medical community, that seem to increase anxiety. Cannabinoid analysis of these cultivars indicates that they seem to have low levels of CBD, generally less than 1.5% of cannabinoids by weight. Strains with CBD concentrations in excess of 1.5% by weigh were generally viewed as anxiolytic regardless of the THC concentration,
I wonder, did you noticed that strain was developed in Israel where
medicinal cannabis is not only recognized but embraced by their medical
establishment?
Did you notice that in the United States that strain of cannabis is just as illegal as any other strain?
Did you know that the medicinal cannabis community has been arguing for
over a decade that THC is not the primary medicinal cannabinoid? How
about Marinol®, the supposed “pot in a pill”? Did you notice that THC is
the only cannabinoid?
Did you notice that there are dispensaries in both California and
Colorado that promote the medicinal use of high CBD low THC strains of
cannabis?
http://www.projectcbd.org/
Of course you didn’t. You simply jumped to the baseless conclusion that
the medicinal cannabis community is only interested in getting high. But
the fact of the matter is that the medicinal properties of cannabidiol
were identified by the medicinal cannabis community. It is people like
you who are holding back progress of this medicine, and all because you
simply refuse to accept that the fact that there are people who like to
get high allegedly proves that there aren’t people genuinely interested
in helping sick people.
quoted from website linked above:
“Cannabidiol —CBD— is a compound in Cannabis
that has medical effects but does not make people feel
“stoned” and actually counters some of the effects of THC. After decades
in which only high-THC Cannabis was available, CBD-rich strains are now
being
grown by and for medical users.
The reduced psychoactivity of CBD-rich Cannabis may make it an appealing treatment option for
patients seeking anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, anti-anxiety
and/or anti-spasm effects without disconcerting euphoria
or lethargy.
Scientific and clinical studies indicate that CBD
could be effective in easing symptoms of a wide range of
difficult-to-control conditions, including: rheumatoid arthritis,
diabetes, alcoholism, PTSD, epilepsy, antibiotic-resistant infections
and neurological disorders. CBD has demonstrated neuroprotective effects, and its anti-cancer potential is currently being explored at several academic research centers in the U.S. and other countries. ”
/snip/
What you state is true but there are other strains that are extremely powerful psychotropic and the current doctors prescribing are scams. $300 !!! My last psychical with my real doc was $125. He wouldn’t do it because of the Feds and didn’t want his license at risk. As we saw this last election cycle the days are coming when pot is legal taxed and regulated as it should have been from the beginning.
It’s use is NOT risk free:
Medscape Medical News > Psychiatry
More Evidence Cannabis Use Linked to Schizophrenia
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/774128?src=mpnews
I find the straw man of “being risk free” to be amusing in the same manner that a train wreck. There are two kinds of people who think that the phrase “risk free marijuana” is part of the calculation. Those would be foaming at the mouth prohibitionists and a small percentage of newly minted fans of cannabis. People suffer fatal overdoses of dihydrogen monoxide every week of the year.
The psychosis thing is so absurdly easy to prove a lie that it is almost unbelievable that they still keep using that variation of reefer madness piece of propaganda. But then the prohibitionists always manage to find people that will accept any assertions that they make no matter how far fetched.
The problem with the pot causes psychoses claptrap is that the mental health professionals have been keeping track of the rate of psychoses in the population for about 100 years. That number has been steady to marginally down. However, in the 1960s the rate of people who choose to enjoy cannabis skyrocketed by more than 1000% without a correlative increase in the rate of psychoses. One simply does not introduce an increase in the causal factor for anything without seeing an increase in the thing allegedly caused.
There are now roughly 100 million Americans who have chosen to enjoy cannabis according to our Federal government. If the psychoses thing were true we’d have cannabis generated lunatics standing on every corner. I’ve got to say that if you genuinely want to talk people out of choosing to enjoy cannabis that you need to stick to factual evidence. It takes about 5 minutes inside my world to realize that the prohibitionist generated propaganda is built on a platform of nothing other than bald faced lies, half truths, and hysterical rhetoric. Even more distressing is the fact that when a person figures this out it’s not uncommon for them to conclude that the case against heroin/cocaine/meth/drinking alcohol is built on a similarly dishonest platform. It’s usually too late when those people finally figure out that the authorities don’t need to lie in order to warn of the dangers of those “hard” drugs.
Do you care about the “psychotropic effects” of alcohol?
Personally, I’d be more concerned about a drunk person coming toward me than a stoned person.
What’s the difference??
The attitude.
The stoned person doesn’t come at you because he’s sitting on the couch.
I am so glad this woman is getting help to get the medical marijuana. The news coverage has really helped with that.
Now, is there a lawyer in that area who would love to help the kid so he is not expelled for this. Yes, this was a serious mistake, but this is a young kid. I don’t think he meant any real harm. There are kids smoking joints in the bathroom every day.
Change federal law. The federal marijuana laws don’t stop people using marijuana so what good are they?
If we love our children and want them to be safe from drug dealers and unnecessary searches then we should contact our federal representatives and tell them that we support legalizing marijuana like beer and wine at the federal level.
……
There still must be more to this story though if “innocent,non suspecting” kids also got expelled…
I wonder how they are going to help her with the needles she was charged with, no mention of that.
She has Lupus. Often people with auto immune diseases have certain medicines to treat the illnesses that require home injections.
People who have prescriptions for syringes generally are not brought up on charges if found to be in possession of their syringes.
The facts are not all known.
It would appear that if she was taking medication that required needles she would not have been charged with that possession, just sayin….
This is overkill, on a plant “herb”, grown naturally, spending this much police time and effort , court costs, etc. When these people are not the ones robbing Rite Aids and breaking into houses and attacking people to get pills, and shooting people then setting them on fire, and so on . Wake up State of Maine ! Work on the people that are trafficing the other drugs that are ruining our society.
I’m a bit confused by her story. She has lupus, receives treatment & blood transfusions because of it, how does she pay for that? MaineCare would be my guess. Would that not cover her to see a doctor for a prescription as well? She stated she only receives $350 per month income from TANF. How has she been paying for her pot? I have no idea what it costs, but if she’s using it for chronic pain, wouldn’t she be buying quite a bit? Couldn’t the $$ she uses to buy it illegally go towards paying a doctor? Story doesn’t add up to me…seems like a case of CYA!
////
As for the Mainecare question, I am fairly certain Mainecare will not cover the expenses of MMJ
Not only doesn’t cover it but does not deduct it’s cost from ones income (as can be the case with other medical expenses) to determine eligibility for MaineCare coverage per Federal Regulation.
My son (adult) has Mainecare due to chronic problems. He works part time and that money goes for the medical bills Mainecare will not cover. Just like any insurance, the plan has approved and non-approved medicines and doctors. My son has prescriptions his Mainecare approved doctors say he needs to sustain normal life and work, but they are not on the approved list of meds. He tried what were approved substitutes and that did not work (which the doctors expected would be the case). He goes to college part time and works and has serious health issues. We are very grateful for Mainecare but no system is perfect. It helps pay his medical bills but does not cover every test or treatment or medication. He tried to save some of his college loan money in order to pay for dental work and Mainecare regulations say you can’t have much savings and still get Mainecare, for instance. Luckily we found a sympathetic dentist who took the money my son saved as a downpayment and then allows my son to pay monthly for dental work. Just an example of how tangled the system can be for those who really need it. Hope this helps others understand.
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if you had Lupus, you would prolly be burnt out long before your time. It is a very debilitating disease!!! The Mom needs a break! Would the same happen if the child got into a booze stash. I think NOT!!! She needs support not condemnation!! The kids could go to a way worse scenario! and then who will be better fit. the Mom or the OTHER Place they could end up living in!! ask yourself that
Raising Children – Pharmaceutical Department – Common Sense Ref. No. 17, “Keep this and all other medications out of the reach of children.”
Now that the root issue here has been identified, and considering the rising trends in medical marijuana, maybe DHS could create some jobs by endorsing an awareness class, as part of the registration requirements.
Something like this shouldn’t exceed more than a day and $50.00 per student. A portion of the fee should pay an instructor, a combination lock box, suitable for Maine’s limitation amounts, and certification of completion.
It should cover methods of containment, legal obligations, penalties and other home safety issues.
Holding him hostage for another few plates of them brownies…
Even though I think Marijuana should remain illegale I think taking her son away is over extreme in this case. There should be punishment, but not this severe
Really, this is the best use of our time and resources ?!
Might want to correct this statement as it is missing a couple of words:
“Hiser, a single mother, had hoped would allow her 13 year-old son, who just started eighth grade at Mountain View School in Sullivan, to return home.
I believe it should state:
Hiser, a single mother, had hoped the court would allow her 13-year-old son, who just started eighth grade at Moutain View School in Sullivan, to return home.
And yes I was educated in public school.
This mom qualifies for a medical marijuanna permit. If she had the money to afford one, she’d still have the pot laced brownies in the home. So is her son being kept from her because she couldn’t afford to get legal permission for the pot, or because she uses pot? Her son did something wrong and he’s lost his home as a result. Are the other kids who ate the brownies being removed from their homes? No. All the brownie eaters face suspension. Why the extra punishment for the sick woman’s son? Does the state plan to remove all minors from homes where there is a sick person with a permit to use pot? Having a permit is no guarantee minors won’t find a way to steal some of it.
Also, if they’re going to break up every family in which one or both parents smoke pot, they better get busy! They got a lotta bustin’ up to do — enough to keep them busy for the next ten years — tying up the courts, the police, the jails, and who knows how many foster homes — wow, soooo good for society!
Charlie Murphy!!!!!
We need to stop District Attorneys from allowing frivolous things to go to Court and continue to waste taxpayers money, and Court time, that needs to be used for more legitimate reasons. While we are at it; lets get rid of all the frivolous charges that are allowed to be racked up against people, to then be plea bargained down, to what they should have started with in the first place. Let’s get rid of plea bargaining all together and get real. Or; maybe I should say, honest. What ever happened to being innocent until you have been proven guilty in a Court of Law. We are now being tried in the newspapers. Speaking of newspapers – why not just report the news. Why do you feel that you have to go back to your archives and list every summons or charge that was ever reported on the person. Just report the story in a fair impartial manner and let the rest unfold as it should. The Bangor Daily News is not the Court of Law and just because a person is summonsed or arrested does not prove that that person is guilty of the charge. Why do newspapers feel that they have to report every instance when a person is summonsed (before they ever go to trial) yet when the summons is thrown out – found not to have a basis or lacking in merit – that is not then published to clear the unfairly summonsed persons name? Shouldn’t it only be published after the person is found to be guilty? Lots of reputations have been damaged this way. There are many more important issues that need to put to print. We also need to elect the Attorney General by popular vote rather than an appointment by the Governor.
What makes me laugh, more of a snort then a laugh, is it’s a natural wild native plant of America.
I sorta laughed reading that. Simply not true!
This judge should do the right thing and just step down. Perhaps public works is more in his line of work.
you have to wonder why they didn’t name the judge
I would urge some moderation of thought here.
The D.H.H.S. does take children for reasons that do not seem justified to most citizens, HOWEVER my experience is that the agency does not keep these children, particularly teenagers, unless there is something going on here more serious than a rack of pot brownies.
The presence of a “hypodermic devise” concerns me as I know a number of children in Maine who have overdosed and died after injecting themselves with various drugs.
Also, being in the “protective custody” of the Department does not rule out sending the boy home. It just gives the D.H.H.S. tools to examine the home and be sure it is safe. Many times clients are sent home during the wait for court. The judge did NOT sentence the child to foster care, he just gave the D.H.H.S. protective custody until this mess is sorted.
Lets wait and see what happens at the C-2 hearing.
I would like to know what happened to the two boys who were removed from the Capehart home where the mother left them alone for two days?
How many medical marijuana users have “hyperdermic devices”?
Our police state is very vindictive and evil to harass this poor woman like this. It’s hard to be a proud American when our gov’t acts like a thug to helpless citizens. We have to start electing the youngest candidates in the race because all the 50+ year olds that smoked weed daily in college are turning into hypocrites and oppressors. Shame on them, shame shame shame.
BDN
Some of you folks are fanatics for goodness sake. I am 100 % for medical marijuana but there is obviously more going on here with the needles. No judges don’t have to step down, we don’t need a mob going after the DA or DHHS…The judge did not give an order to keep the kid forever just to sort things out. Tell me, at 13 , that kid knew what was in those brownies, thats why the charges, he knew what he was doing when he handed them out. It was not like in grade school when your mom bakes cupcakes for the class. That household is more involved/informed than what is being said, it definitely doesn’t sound like some sweet innocent woman, that happens to be sick, baked some brownies and her innocent kid brought them to school. Why wont that sweet innocent woman discuss the needles ?
I feel bad for her son too. How devastated he must be. In my opinion, the “justice system” made the wrong choice.
Medical marijuana is actually not the issue here- the issue is the child had access to a drug he shouldn’t have had and took it to school to give to other children. It would be no different if the child took oxycontin, vicodin, or any other drug that they could get their hands on to school and distributed it. The mother needs to secure her drugs, whatever they are, against this kind of thing if she wants to have them.
Junior shouldn’t take stuff without permission either.
That’s right, but that’s the mother’s job to address. The child is a child. She needs to secure her drugs from her child and parent the child so he doesn’t take them.
…..
Washington State and Colorado just passed the legalization of marijuana and if it had been on the ballot in Maine I’m sure it also would have passed. I can’t believe that DHHS has kept this child from his mother over this.
Would they remove her child if it was beer laced brownie? just saying… This Is Wayyyyy Overboard..
They might if the child distributed them at school. It’s a crime to give minors alcohol.
It is untrue that it is always illegal go give drinking a minor child. About 30 States have exceptions to the age limit of 21. I am not familiar with the specific law in Maine but it’s one of the most reasonable States for criminal penalties so I’d bet on your State being among the 30.
Regardless, this is a very rare case because I don’t believe that the penalties for a comparable guardian who’s child stole a bottle of booze and then got some of his chums drunk would be dissimilar.
It’s true that it isn’t always illegal- but is is only legal if it occurs in your own home to your own child, or in a church for religious purposes only.
Otherwise, if you give it to other children or your child takes it and distributes it to other children, it is a crime.
But if your parents are raging alcoholics and abusive to a child in other ways it’s A-OK to leave the child with the parents….brilliant.
This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in all of the time I have lived in Maine.
We are talking about pot. Some study indicated someone would have ingest on the order of thousands of pounds in order to overdose or do damage. Where is the jeopardy for this child? Is there something we are not hearing about?
Why are we breaking up what appears to be a loving family? SERIOUSLY. . .SEND THE KID HOME.
If you do not have Lupus than shut up. You all have no clue! Sad this happened to her, must be more careful and keep locked up. Lets you know she doesn’t smoke around her son. No meds help with pain than Marijuana. I have Lupus and chronic hand pain and I take Oxycontin, Oxycodone and Marijay helps the best. What happened was wrong but come on she is in Pain.
Finally a judge with some *alls…….that actually stood up and did the right thing……..potheads don’t deserve their children back, and in fact some should be strerilized so as not to repeat the pattern
And the prize for the ultimate ignorant comment of all goes to you!
I hope you have been sterilized
I think that a lot of people have tried pot by Junior High School. What is the big deal? I’m not saying minors should use drugs but lets temper the facts with reality.
I suspect that there is a lot more to this story than we know. The marijuana is not so much of a problem. Did the mother NOT tell her son that those were “special” brownies? THAT is a problem – I suspect, though, that given that the kids were all suspended, that the son knew very well what was in the brownies and so did his friends. Otherwise they were victims and should/would not have been suspended.
It costs a lot to get certified to use marijuana legally, but the article doesn’t mention that to legally then purchase the marijuana it costs a lot as well – $300 to $400 an ounce. This makes it a safe, but very expensive option. Many people posting here are somewhat confused about “pain medicine”. Anti-inflammatory pain medicine (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) can reduce inflammation and pain but is hard on the kidneys and the stomach. Cortisone-type medicines can reduce inflammation and pain, and are very important in conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid, but have a huge list of long-term side-effects. Tylenol can be hard on the liver. Narcotic pain medications are neither, but cause tolerance (needing more to treat the pain) and addiction, and so are problematic to use. If marijuana can be helpful, it clearly has a role because of its safety profile.
They’d let him go right home if she was a oxy addict
This is absurd.
Let’s remove all kids from the homes of alcoholics…
We do, if the alcoholism endangers the well-being of the child enough.
But, that is different standard than was used in this case. Applying DHHS logic, every kid who swipes his folks booze and shares it with his friends should be removed from the home.
Well! I guess that whole “bring Mom’s stash to school” thing isn’t turning out to be quite as funny as you were hoping it’d be, hey, sport?
When you do real research on the the out comes of kids growing up in foster homes I would think this kid would have a much better chance with his mother. How many are abused in foster homes and DHS sweeps it under the rug. I think most foster homes are decent but a lot are not . That being said most kids are moved to more than one foster home. 60% of kids who grow up in foster homes end up in jail a mental institution or worse. What maybe 20% grow up to be productive member of society .
Once again DHHS is in violation of the law as is the judge ..this is not a case where the child is in immediate danger! From what I read I hope to god it gets better then this! Read the statute…you must take all reasonable efforts to prevent removal of the child. Was any efforts made such as asking the mom to dump the weed or lose the child? And drug test her daily or have an agency visit daily? The law is clear to make every effort to prevent removal! So now the state thinks they do best as they did with killing Logan marr by placing her in a foster home and the little girl from waterville by placing her with her dad rather than the grandmother…DHHS my former employer are vicous non human natzi’s
THis is the result of too much Government. I know a few people with Lupus and each say that Stress really gets it in gear and is most unpleasant. It is bad enough the law states pot is illegal, and we seldom read of ANYONE in a car accident or fatality while driving under the influence to pot.
The trauma caused to this young boy is bad and those who have removed him from his home and mother should feel real proud of their actions, that were nasty. The mother who is dealing with her Lupus , needs this rude and un warrented intrusion like she needs a hole in her head.
Her son should be allowed to return home. Sure hope someone with clout with run interference here and get this right. Show some Compassion for the mother and son. This is not dress rehearsal.
This is like cutting off your foot because you broke your toe.
In Colorado this student would have received an award for creative thinking and being a positive influence in the classroom. Oh, and let’s not forget “sharing”.
This is a 13 year old. He should be asked “Do you want to go home?” If the answer is yes, he should go home. What an unbelievably poor decision. This kid should be with his mom (unless he doesn’t want to)
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just not right, not right at all…. punish a child because his mother is ill, just not right….so sad :(
This is pathetic to say the least. Here in Bangor you can walk around all day pushing a baby stroller zombie style after getting your daily dose of meth. This 13 year old kid takes his Mom’s pot brownies to school and shares them with friends and gets taken away from his ill Mother? I’m sure she doesn’t need anymore stress! What? CRAZY!!! Shame on you judicial system….shame on you!
STICK HER IN PRISON!