If there is marijuana in your home, then weed storage should be on your mind. Whether you use weed legally-medicinally, legally-recreationally, or illegally; the way you store your weed is important. Just like any other medication you keep in your home, locking up your marijuana can help keep your family safe.
Recreational marijuana use is currently legal in 4 states, as well as Washington DC, and medicinal marijuana is legal in an additional 19 states. Medicinally, weed is used as a painkiller, to help epileptics with their seizures, and even to ease chemo patients’ nausea. However, marijuana is still treated as an illegal substance in the eyes of the federal government and Child Protective Services.
4 Ways Safe Weed Storage Will Keep Your Family Safe
As marijuana becomes more popular medicinally and recreationally, it’s important to make sure it’s stored safely out of the hands of children.
#1: Prevent Pot Poisoning
Most states don’t allow medical marijuana for children, but that doesn’t protect them from accidentally consuming the substance. Pot poisoning from accidental ingestion is a very real threat.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers has reported a 610% increase in child pot poisoning for kids 5 years and under since 2006.
Properly storing marijuana in a lockbox or with a locking cap can help keep your children safe. Weed should be treated with the same prudence as any prescription drug
#2: Prevent Custody Battles Over Recreational Use
Parents without a prescription for marijuana risk run-ins with CPS, especially if they have weed in the home that is unlocked or within the reach of children. In the 46 states where recreational marijuana use is illegal, possession of the drug alone is enough to lose custody of your children.
This is a lesson learned the hard way by Penelope, a mother in New York. The police found a third of an ounce of marijuana in her home, an amount below the legal threshold for a misdemeanor. While she wasn’t criminally charged for possession, the incident was reported to New York’s child welfare hotline, and Harris’s 10 year old son and 8 year old niece were taken away.
In the regions where it is legal to consume recreational marijuana, authorities will judge the case based on whether or not your drug consumption impacts your ability to keep your child safe, according to the Colorado law firm Wick & Trautwein. However, recreational marijuana is still a legal gray area in these four states, making safe storage practices vital.
If you smoke recreationally, it’s important to think about how you store your marijuana- locking it up and keeping it out of site the way you would with your prescriptions helps you to keep your children safe.
#3: Prevent Issues With CPS Over Medicinal Marijuana
Even in states where medical marijuana is legal, parents who have a prescription may be confronted with child custody issues. This legal issue illustrates how murky the regulation of medical marijuana still is. According to a statement made during a 2014 CNN interview, CPS policy doesn’t differentiate between medical and nonmedical marijuana use.
Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, and the drug has been seen as dangerous for many years. While perceptions are changing, parents who use medicinal marijuana are fighting an uphill battle.
In 2015 a Kansas woman lost custody of her son over a CPS case investigating her medicinal marijuana use. Her son defended the use of marijuana use in a drug education class at school, which led the authorities to search her home. There they found more than a pound of marijuana, some of which was within easy reach of her child.
This case is not an isolated incident, parents who use marijuana medicinally are at risk of losing custody of their children if authorities believe their use of weed is endangering their children. This includes weed that is not stored safely- locked up out of children’s sight.
#4: Deter Tempted Teens
As legal marijuana becomes more accepted the perception people have of the drug will shift. Teens are increasingly viewing the drug as a safe substance; a dangerous misconception. While studies suggest marijuana may have health benefits for adults when consumed properly, research shows that it has a detrimental effect on the cognitive development of kids and teens.
It’s incredibly important that you talk to your kids about the marijuana use they will encounter among their peers. Storing your medicine locked up and safely out of view can help prevent teens from experimenting with your supply of marijuana.
If you have weed in the house, especially if you don’t have a prescription, it’s important to store it safely. The consumption of marijuana is still a taboo in many areas- especially where children are concerned. Making sure your weed is locked away out of the reach of young kids and teens can help you protect your children’s health and help you avoid legal issues.
