In the past few months we have received numerous inquiries into the crossroads of marijuana use and parenting, especially in relation to child custody issues.
Below you will find research and guidance from the Boulder County Child Protective Services on the issue. However, if you have questions regarding marijuana use and parenting in your local community outside of Boulder County, we would be happy to meet with you about information specific to your community.
Caseworkers at Boulder County Child Protective Services receive training on issues involving marijuana use and parenting through https://www.illuminatecolorado.org/.
Illuminate Colorado is a non-profit company that handles various child abuse problems, including those involving drugs and alcohol, through their program, Smart Choices Safe Kids. This program aims to serve as an educational resource guide for families, individuals, and professionals with funding through grant awards from the Colorado Department of Human Services Children’s Justice Act and the AJL Charitable Foundation.
Marijuana-related recommendations from the Smart Child Safe Kids Programs include:
- Not using drugs of any kind while taking care of children in case of emergency;
- Never smoking around children;
- Keeping all drugs, including medical marijuana, locked up and out of reach of children, while being particularly being careful of edibles and items in refrigerators;
- Following state law regulations for home grow operations; and
- Never permitting dangerous manufacturing such as hash oil labs in a home where children are present.
While Boulder County Child Protective Services does not take a strict prohibitionist stance on using marijuana in the home, parents should be sober whenever they are responsible for the care and well-being of their children.
If you have more specific questions regarding the crossroads of marijuana use and parenting, please contact us for further information. We wish you all a happy and healthy spring season.