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Child advocates bash Issue 3
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning County Children Services Board and its management staff are opposed to Issue 3, the Nov. 3 ballot measure that would legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use in Ohio.
Randall Muth, the child-welfare agency’s executive director, said the board voted this month to authorize him to speak to the media on the board’s behalf against this issue, but did not pass a formal board resolution of opposition.
“We believe that making marijuana legal will increase the likelihood that our citizens will use and abuse marijuana,” Muth said.
Studies have shown marijuana abuse has “a detrimental effect on parenting ability,” he said.
A telephone survey of 3,023 Californians published in July found an association between marijuana use and physical abuse of children, Muth said. Marijuana is legal in California only for medical purposes.
“Parents who reported using marijuana in the past year engaged in physical abuse three times more frequently than those who did not,” said the study published in the Child Abuse & Neglect journal.
“We believe that we’ll see increased accidental poisonings for children in the form of ingesting marijuana through edibles,” that would become available if marijuana becomes legal in Ohio, he added.
“Because, currently, marijuana is illegal, most people are motivated not to have it out in the open and not to have it within reach of young children, and it generally isn’t available in forms like gummy bears or in candies that look like other candy that isn’t marijuana laced,” Muth observed.
“I think we will see more adolescents who actively choose to use marijuana using it more because it will be more available,” if it becomes legal for adults, he added.
“We agree with most of the alcohol and drug addiction boards that marijuana does have very serious physical and psychological ramifications,” Muth said.
“Most of the boards say that those physical issues are more prevalent for adolescents than they are for adults,” Muth added.
The Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board unanimously approved a resolution opposing marijuana use in September, without specifically mentioning Issue 3.
More-easily accessible marijuana “is probably not a good thing for child welfare,” Muth said.
“Our biggest concerns are the unintended consequences,” of the potential increased use of the drug, if it becomes legal here, said Julie Rudolph, CSB’s quality improvement supervisor.
“The concern is that the legalization will increase the number of children and adults who will require intervention and treatment because of their substance use,” she added.
“If marijuana were legal and people were choosing to grow marijuana plants in their own homes, that would become a highlight of our assessment,” concerning the safety of the home environment of a child, whose well-being is CSB’s responsibility, she said.
The agency would be concerned whether the home-grown marijuana would be adequately secured against child use, Rudolph added.
The ballot measure would allow adults to grow up to four marijuana plants for their personal use in their homes if they register and pay a $50 fee.
“Whether a substance is illegal or legal, our duty is to ensure the child’s safety,” said Jennifer Kollar, CSB’s new public information officer, whose primary job is foster parent recruitment.
“It’s our job to make sure that it’s not negatively impacting a parent’s ability to safely and adequately care for their child,” Kollar said of marijuana.