By Nina Zdinjak
Since 2019, not less than 26 ladies in Oklahoma have been charged with little one neglect felonies for consuming hashish whereas pregnant, in line with The Frontier. The punishment for this crime may be life in jail, although the earlier offenders who pleaded responsible got probation.
Of these 26 ladies, not less than eight have been medical marijuana license holders, which means they have been allowed to legally purchase and use hashish, having a physician’s advice. However, the issue boils down as to if medical marijuana may be handled as an “unlawful drug,” as a result of if it could actually, the regulation is obvious pregnant ladies may be charged with little one neglect for consuming unlawful medicine whereas pregnant. Girls in Oklahoma have been prosecuted even after giving beginning to wholesome infants.
Wait a second, isn’t medical marijuana authorized in Oklahoma for registered sufferers?
That’s proper, those that have a license from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority are allowed to purchase and devour marijuana and there aren’t any guidelines prohibiting pregnant ladies from utilizing hashish or have a license. In response to state regulation, physicians will not be obligated to find out if sufferers are pregnant or are planning a being pregnant quickly earlier than they supply them with a medical marijuana license.
However, medical marijuana merchandise within the state have warnings in opposition to use throughout being pregnant, much like these on cigarette packs.
Most medical professionals agree on advising in opposition to utilizing marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol and different medicine throughout being pregnant.
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Brian Hermanson, one of many two prosecutors in Oklahoma who has introduced expenses in opposition to these pregnant ladies, believes it is a felony. “In the event that they make dangerous selections about utilizing medicine whereas they’re pregnant, they’re most likely going to make different dangerous selections when elevating the kid,” he stated final November.
Ryan Kiesel, a civil rights legal professional, and former Oklahoma lawmaker, alternatively, thinks that these prosecutions are “inconsistent with state regulation.”
“These ladies are protected as medical marijuana sufferers below the regulation,” Kiesel stated. “It’s vital to recollect, in case you have a medical marijuana license, you might be below the care of a doctor.”
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The variety of ladies within the U.S. who flip to hashish whereas pregnant has notably elevated over time. Between 2002 and 2017, the determine went from below 6% to 12%, as per information from the Nationwide Survey on Drug Use and Well being.
What about Oklahoma? The numbers don’t look nice. For the reason that state legalized medical marijuana in 2018, the variety of state newborns who examined constructive for hashish grew by greater than 160%.
What Are The Impacts Of Hashish Use Whereas Pregnant?
Sadly, there will not be sufficient related scientific research on this matter, as marijuana couldn’t be researched for a very long time, due to its standing as a Schedule 1 substance.
Increasingly new research certainly point out there are adverse penalties to kids whose moms consumed hashish whereas pregnant, it’s onerous to substantiate that the consequence got here solely from hashish use. As Dr. Mishka Terplan, who has researched substance use in being pregnant and has helped develop American School of Obstetricians and Gynecologist steering on dependancy says, the influence of marijuana publicity may be very onerous to separate from tobacco use, stress, and every other well being and environmental elements.
In any case, ladies are suggested to not take any authorized medicine whereas pregnant, like painkillers or alcohol, proper? It’s not so unusual to see ladies smoking a cigarette with an enormous bump, although the adverse penalties of cigarette smoke to unborn kids has been identified for some time now. What about stress?
And but, nobody is prosecuting pregnant ladies who smoke or drink. Nicely, isn’t {that a} bit hypocritical, if little one care is the principle concern in these prosecutions?
This text initially appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.
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