Medical marijuana activists' children taken from home, charges possible

Discussion in 'Marijuana Legalization' started by Storm Crow, Apr 27, 2013.

  1. Medical marijuana activists' children taken from home, charges possible | KTVB.COM Boise

    BOISE -- Three publicly known medical marijuana advocates say police took their sons away from them this week while investigating allegations involving marijuana. Their sons were considered by law enforcement to be in imminent danger.

    The medical marijuana advocacy group called "Compassionate Idaho" has appeared in several recent news stories as members have circulated petitions looking for a vote to legalize medical marijuana. Now, its leaders are being investigated, and they say their kids were put into foster care.

    "They took my children. Due to cannabis being present in the house," Lindsey Rinehart, Compassionate Idaho's Executive Director, said.

    Lindsey and Josh Rinehart and Sarah Caldwell have been very public in their efforts to legalize medical marijuana. On Tuesday, they say when they got back to the Rinehart's after a trip -- their baby-sitter was there, but their four sons were all gone.

    "They say their goal is to return our children to our home once it is deemed safe. They say our children will be in foster care for 30 days," Lindsey Rinehart said.

    According to the search warrant Rinehart showed KTVB, her home was being investigated for possible charges of marijuana trafficking, possession and injury to a child. She vehemently denies trafficking or putting kids in danger.

    "We were not dealing. We were not buying. We were not selling. We were not growing," Rinehart said.

    Caldwell's two sons are back with her now, but the Rineharts say their two boys are still in foster care. The activists say everything started at their kids' elementary school earlier this week.

    "Somebody said that somebody brought cannabis to school, that somebody ate the cannabis, that somebody reported it. That it was tossed around on the playground," Sarah Caldwell said.

    Lindsey Rinehart continued their story: "So they decided basically, who would have cannabis in their home. Now if you're the chief petitioner to legalize medical marijuana, where would you go with that?"

    The Rineharts say police then searched their home, seized marijuana, and took their children, declared in imminent danger.

    "They went through my house. They removed all of my cannabis that I use for medicine," Lindsey Rinehart said. Rinehart suffers from Multiple Sclerosis.

    The Rineharts say their kids have been well-educated about marijuana, that it is medicine not for them to touch. Now, Lindsey Rinehart says she's personally given up medical marijuana. She says her MS symptoms have already started to return.

    "Even if I could access cannabis, which I can't, and won't because I'm cooperating with CPS, I want my children back. I'm going to have to go back on a whole bunch of really toxic medication," Lindsey Rinehart said.

    Though she says she will not be keeping marijuana around because her priority is doing anything to get her children back. She does plan, alongside the others, to keep fighting for legalization.

    "We are going to work on getting our children back. And we are going to work on education. And we are going to work on getting medical marijuana laws in Idaho so this doesn't happen to any more people," Lindsey Rinehart said.

    No charges have been filed in this case. Because of that, Boise Police said it could not offer much information; however, a spokeswoman did confirm officers are currently working on the case with prosecutors, who will determine if any charges will be filed.

    KTVB contacted Health and Welfare on this story. While a spokesman could not comment on a specific case, he did offer insight about guidelines for recommending a child be removed from a home.

    The spokesman said if illegal drugs are found in a home, they look at whether they're accessible to the kids. They also look at if drug activity impacts ability to parent. Police make decisions on if kids need to be taken, and he said the courts work with agency recommendations to determine the return of children.

    The Rineharts and Caldwell say other medical marijuana advocates have started to reach out to them and have so far donated more than $5,000 to help pay for legal expenses. Click here for more information.


    Granny :mad:
     
  2. It's a sad state of affairs when lobbying for change puts your family in danger - the danger in this situation being the CPS system, not the cannabis. :p
     
  3. I continually emphasize on here how not all is well with conservative states. These are they type of people who murder abortion providers in the name of jesus. They refuse to be educated because they have a bible and a preachers' interpretation of a few chapters which give them a moral high ground. (in their own minds) I have seen local church leaders activly campaigning against medical marijuana in my state and have heard the crap they spew. They would rather see families torn apart, careers ruined, harmless happy people jailed, simply because these happy people didnt get their high from jesus. These are the same ones who have arsenals of weapons in their home...alot of times in reach of their children. Now someone tell me..WHO is putting a child in more danger...one with some pot stashed in their bedroom drawer...or one with loaded weapons in reach of curious kids? This story is sad, but I am not in the least bit suprized.
     
  4. Here is the contact page of Boise CPS
    Contact Us

    If you live in Idaho, these people work FOR YOU. They are spending YOUR tax dollars for this.

    Further, here is the contact information for all of the State and Federal legislative representatives.
    State representative Boise, Idaho Area profiles | LinkedIn

    Let them know what you feel about this, or it will just slide under the rug.
     
  5. if they can't defeat the truth in a message, they will oppress and suppress the messengers.
     
  6. I fucking hate this country. I hope whoever is responsible for this gets a bullet in their fucking head.
     
  7. "It's for the children"
     
  8. Nick, I am a little kinder (but not much), I hope they get THEIR kids taken away unnecessarily for a frivolous reason!

    Granny
     
  9. Hearing this kinda stuff makes me feel like murder is just a necessity 8/ if they had tried this shit 80 years ago you would of had the whole armed town down there civily arresting any and all collaborator's.
     
  10. Yeah, cause "heroes" arrest women with MS and take their kids away.

    The hero worship has to end. These are armed thugs.
     
  11. My sister has MS and a kid. This hit pretty close to home with me - she doesn't smoke and therefore can keep her son, but I can only imagine if she was using cannabis to manage her symptoms, some heroic child savior would break into her house and put her son in foster care to protect him.
     
  12. This is so disgusting, I'm speechless. Keep fighting these assholes!!
     
  13. Thats fuckin bullshit, so its okay to stockpile alcohol, which is very dangerous with children in the house. But marijuana is not okay, I am getting so fed up with the irrationality in our society.
     
  14. This.
    The biggest peiece of shit lie I have ever seen vomited forth from the reeking maw of the media. Children are not fucking stupid, I had a bb gun at 7 years old and was able to construct a cannon out of pvc pipes and a grill igniter, using hairspray for fuel.

    Kids are just as smart as adults, simply more inquisitive because they haven't lost their child like sense of curiosity. Teach them about cannabis, that it is medicine and not to touch it because its only to be used by adults or patients. I honestly beleive if the public was better educated about marijauna the government couldn't get away with this crap.

    I feel terrible for that poor woman with MS having to go back on toxic medications just to get her children back, when cannabis was helping her so much and really was no threat to her kids. She does not deserve this treatment when all she wanted to do was legalize cannabis, a cause so many of us are fighting for.

    This is what the government does to people, if you have your own free will and thoughts they dont like it. Fuck the government, time to govern ourselves.
     
  15. ...Or move to a medicinal state. I know this is absurd to even have to consider but some states dont/wont/ and may never "get it".
     
  16. I'm donating and I strongly encourage everyone else to do the same!!
    MS is an awful disease and if the use of medical marijuana helped Lindsay be a good mother to her children, then that's all that matters.
     
     
  17. Meanwhile parents who have medicine cabinets packed with Valium or Oxycontin are totally fine and don't need to worry about their children being in danger.  An entire fridge full of Milwaukee's Best or McCormick Vodka?  That's totally fine.  No worries in that house.  
     
  18. #19 SomeRand, May 25, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: May 25, 2013
    How infuriating to hear about. I understand those pigs were just "taking orders on the job" but come on. Exactly the reason I have zero respect for police. If you can mindlessly accept orders and go through with them, without any human empathy, like a robot, you are a tool in the most literal sense. 
     
    The men who enforce the immoral laws are also themselves immoral. Does nobody grasp this? Following orders is not reasonable justification to act in such a way. Stories like this bring out the vigilante in me. If I lived anywhere near these happenings the pigs who forcibly took those children would have ten cartons of eggs covering their cars when they got up for work in the morning. Or a cinder block fly through their dining room window while their family is home. Disgusting, disgusting people. 
     
    They are assaulting the lives of SICK people, totally unacceptable. 
     
  19. As long as you have a bathroom cabnit full of Dangerous pills, a fridge full of booze and a packet of Marlborough on the table we wont bother you, your a good citizen.
     
    A harmless non toxic plant that saves lives, wheres the dogs were coming to get you!
     
    Makes me sick!
     

Share This Page