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pregnant and have a question about the situation i'm in.

Discussion in 'Medical Marijuana Usage and Applications' started by swag swag, Apr 9, 2012.

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  1. #1 swag swag, Apr 9, 2012
    okay, so i posted here asking people what they thought of smoking while pregnant when i first made my account. i haven't really posted since then due to all of the stress that's been going on in my life since then.

    so to update, last time i mentioned this, i was like a month pregnant. i'm now officially into the 3rd trimester and due in July. We decided to go with a birth center instead of a traditional hospital birth with a doctor. We are using a midwife and doing everything holistically. i haven't been smoking regularly since the first trimester, only when I get severe symptoms of my glaucoma or severe nausea, which wore off mostly by the 3rd month. When I signed up with the birth center, I signed a paper saying that they sometimes do involuntary drug tests and that I had the option of opting out of them. Obviously, I opted out. The same day, they took a urine sample. Now, keep in mind, i read every single paper i signed and NOWHERE in them did they say that they did routine drug tests with urine, they only mentioned the involuntary ones on one page of the forms. I was about 18 weeks and had vaped that week.

    Fast forward to 21 weeks for an ultrasound, nobody mentions it. Nobody ever calls me. My next appointment was at 27 weeks, which was last Friday. When I got there, the midwife mentioned that I had failed a drug test for THC. WHAT? I don't remember consenting to a drug test but she said it was "standard procedure" to test urine samples and asked me if she gave me a drug test that day if I would pass it, which I said no to because the last time I had used anything was a couple weeks before that and I wasn't sure if I would pass or not.

    She told me that in order to deliver there, I would have to pass a test at 36 weeks, which is fine but I'm now afraid because she mentioned that there are some doctors who will call CPS is you fail a test, even if it's just for mj and I have been going to the Navy hospital here as a backup for blood tests and wahtnot. And now that I know they drug tested me without my knowledge, who knows who else has.

    My question is, in the event that something does come up, can they get CPS involved? I'm a legal card holder and have been since September of last year. isn't CPS a state funded agency? Can they get involved with something that is legal in the state but not in the country? It doesn't say anywhere in the MMJ laws that I'm not allowed to smoke just because i'm pregnant.


    Anyway, I appreciate any advice you guys can give me. Thanks.
     
  2. #2 WildWill, Apr 11, 2012
    Yes CPS can get involved, your MMJ recommendation does not cover you against CPS and there have been SEVERAL instances where CPS has come in and removed children from MMJ patients
     
  3. #3 Floydian, Apr 12, 2012
    What an utter and unnecessary waste of resources.

    A whole damned generation or two (or at least a good chunk of them) were raised by glassy eyed parents. Our society still hasn't crumbled in to dust.

    Child Protective Services simply have no right in using a legally granted medical prescription/license against parents, under the guise of it being "for the children."

    One would think they would be busy enough dealing with the alcoholic parents...
     
  4. #4 WildWill, Apr 12, 2012
    I didn't say I agreed with it...I was merely stating facts. And I would agree 100%. BUT that's the way it is, there's zero protections built into any MMJ laws that protect the patient from discrimination in many areas, child-rearing being one of them.

    As a parent myself I'm deathly aware of the issues involved and we have a contingency plan ready in case there's ever an issue regarding custody of our daughter.
     
  5. #5 Floydian, Apr 12, 2012
    I hope I didn't sound like I was implying that you did concur with such nonsense :p Can't imagine a single GC member would!

    Hopefully those instances are few and far between, though, and your plan need never be implemented. I can only recall ever hearing anything about such an instance once before, though I'm sure it goes on more than I'd like to imagine :(
     
  6. #6 cball, Apr 12, 2012
    ya, seems silly to have laws to protect a patients from persecution of using medicine...but to allow other laws to punish the patients, AND CHILD, for that same medicine is asinine...(and GAWD lets not get into employee mmj protections)

    Keep up the good fight WW!:wave:
     
  7. #7 WildWill, Apr 12, 2012
    They really like to go after activists who have family...which is why I HAVE to stay on the down-low when it comes to protests and what I do within the community. If I were single and unattached I'd be at every rally, every protest and go to every city council meeting. It SUCKS.

    It just shows that no matter how positive legislation can be, there's always going to be some loophole that can be exploited.

    And yeah, the employment discrimination really blows. What blows even more is that in California there was legislation up during Schwarzenegger's tenure that would have created protection for MMJ patients, and the asshole vetoed it.

    I hope I never have to use my contingency plan either.
     
  8. #8 DeltaIX, Apr 12, 2012
    First off , let me say that I whole heartedly agree that a child being removed from a home due to parents use of mj is absolutely absurd. That being said, it seems like swag swag has completely missed the important issue here, that being the effect mj may have on her unborn child. Johns Hopkins University, the same university that has repeatedly published studies regarding the positive aspects of mj, has found that mj can severly effect a fetus especially in the areas of brain and neurological development. Birth weight and early childhood development have also shown to be effected by use of mj during pregnancy. The effects have been found to be similar to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. These studies have been repeated by other institutions with the same or similar results. I'm all for adults partaking in mj, or alcohol for that matter, but not at the detriment for a child who has not choice in the matter. Whether you believe fully in the validity of this research or not, the mere possibility of hurting your child should be enough for you to abstain for the duration of pregnancy. At least give it some thought.
     
  9. #9 pearl75, Apr 12, 2012
    I read an article in the GC News section the other day about a father in Michigan who tried to stop CPS from taking his son away, and he was shot and killed. The article said a police officer thought he smelled marijuana coming from the father's residence, and called CPS. When the officer went back with CPS to take the man's son away, there was an altercation and the father pulled a knife. (Stupid, I know.) So the father was shot and killed. After he was killed, they investigated. They found no drugs or alcohol in his home, or in his system. Huge, total senseless tragedy. I'm sure this isn't the norm, and I hope to hell it never becomes the norm. But it certainly serves as a reminder that this kind of thing does happen...over a plant. :(:mad:

    Like WildWill, I have kids. I'm probably too vocal about my opinions of cannabis. I'm pretty sure my two kids know more about the subject than any other kids in the whole county. Don't think that doesn't make me just a little nervous, cuz it does. I've asked them both to not talk about the issue outside the home. I'm pretty sure they've complied with this request for the most part, but I know the subject has come up in some of my 17 y/o's classes, and I'm sure she answered a few questions as truthfully as she could. The thought of CPS and LEO busting in my house and taking my children away scares me senseless sometimes. If I think about it too much, I become overwhelmed with anxiety. So I try not to think about because I know it can happen. But what can I do about it? I can't go back to taking all those pills again. Those pills were killing me slowly. Jail will kill me slowly. I guess it's a risk I feel I have to take. And it sucks, it really sucks because it actually takes some of the joy out of cannabis. I really hate that.
     
  10. #10 sgtstadanko, Apr 12, 2012
    [quote name='"WildWill"']Yes CPS can get involved, your MMJ recommendation does not cover you against CPS and there have been SEVERAL instances where CPS has come in and removed children from MMJ patients[/quote]

    Yep they did a big thing in my county like this. They were taking kids from mmj users. I started a thread with article up there.
     
  11. #11 swag swag, Apr 12, 2012

    I have done plenty of research on my own to know whether or not i made a good decision on not quitting. The only thing that effects the fetus is the lack of oxygen to the brain from inhalation. And in cases of FAS, a mother has to consume a LOT of alcohol for an extended time, so i'm assuming it works the same way with MJ, right? i go through a gram a week, if not less. Not only that, but both of my parents smoked before, during, and after my mother's pregnancy and my sister and I both turned out fine. In fact, my sister is a genius and the air force is taking her to develop new technology and she's only 18.

    Source: Jamaican Study Of Pregnant Mothers Shows That Marijuana Doesn't Harm Newborns | The Weed Blog

    i called the midwife back and she said that if the hospital hasn't contacted CPS yet, they won't. If anything, they would have gone to my husband's command about the issue first before involving anyone else due to the nature of his job. So it looks like as long as I quit, nothing will happen. The biggest problem would be if something happened within the next couple weeks before i'm clean

    Something needs to be done about the discrimination. They don't take kids away from mothers who smoke cigarettes...
     
  12. #12 Mister Meaner, Apr 12, 2012
    There is a woman I heard about, fighting the system over the same crap. Freemybabies.org
    If I remember correctly... she had urged women in similar situations to contact her.
    Good luck!
     
  13. #13 pearl75, Apr 13, 2012
    Check your state's laws to be sure, but whoever delivers your baby will probably test the baby for drugs after it is born. In my state, if a baby is born with drugs in its system, CPS will take the baby away.
     
  14. #14 DeltaIX, Apr 13, 2012
    No judgement here, just food for thought.
     
  15. #15 Tanhands, Apr 13, 2012
    Couple things. I was stationed at the Hospital there as a Corpsman and my son was delivered there at Balboa and it was fantastic. I can not imagine the health care there as gone down.

    I would get away from the civilian and go with the Mil Hosp. The Navy Hosp isn't going to Drug test you. You are a Civilian so they don't care if you smoke. They will do the job they have been given and not get into your business. I would make sure that your husband is clean in case they decide it runs in the household though.

    Plus having your baby in a hospital will give you a fully staffed medical team there in case there are any complications. Or have the baby at home. How hard is it really?
     
  16. #16 Floydian, Apr 13, 2012
    [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbai-yBRyHg]Patton Oswalt - Birth - YouTube[/ame]

    "THEY DREAMED ABOUT HOSPITALS!"
     
  17. #17 Longbones, Apr 13, 2012
    Research good a lawyer for this kind of case and have the number ready if it becomes an issue.

    From what it sounds like, you DENIED this birth center the right to drug test your urine. I'm not an expert, but I bet they broke a few laws doing that-or at least are not within their rights to share medical information to CPS.

    You should walk away from this birth center and not look back. And tell them they'll be hearing from your lawyer if they disclose your urinalysis results to anyone.
     
  18. #18 Tanhands, Apr 13, 2012


    I would skip looking for a lawyer and I definitely would not threaten them that you will sue if they disclose. All you have to do is find another Birthing location and ask that your files be transferred and never look back.

    And try not to stress too much.
     
  19. #19 dc or nothing, Apr 14, 2012
    Seriously? Your biggest worry is having your child taken, what about its health? You can't just not smoke while your pregnant? I don't care if its your "medicine", its smoke and tar and other natural chemicals that enter your bloodstream. Dont you want your baby to be born with the most capability of healthiness possible? Stop smoking and being greedy. Your clearly already an unfit parent..
     
  20. #20 Stoniecat, Apr 14, 2012
    [quote name='"dc or nothing"']Seriously? Your biggest worry is having your child taken, what about its health? You can't just not smoke while your pregnant? I don't care if its your "medicine", its smoke and tar and other natural chemicals that enter your bloodstream. Dont you want your baby to be born with the most capability of healthiness possible? Stop smoking and being greedy. Your clearly already an unfit parent..[/quote]

    Do some research please. Smoking while pregnant and even while breast feeding actually causes the fetus/baby to thrive better. There was a study done in Jamaica that proves this. It was posted earlier in the thread so I'm not going to repost it. It does not harm the fetus/baby in any way.

    And yes I did smoke with my 2nd child and has tested at genius levels. Didn't seem to hurt him one bit.
     
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