In Nebraska, this woman is committing felony child abuse.

GI mother exposes child to marijuana
(2/09/2007) KHAS-TV
A Grand Island couple is in jail Friday night after the mother of a newborn allegedly smoked marijuana and then breast fed her child. The Grand Island police department says Health and Human Services tipped them off about the couple.

When officers arrived at the house they found the mother, her baby and the woman’s boyfriend.

Officers noticed the smell of marijuana and saw a joint in plain view. The two adults were arrested.

They are expected to each be charged with one count of felony child abuse.

The 6–day old girl is in protective custody.

We are not releasing the suspect’s names in order to protect the baby’s identity.
Read original here

Would this woman have been charged with felony child abuse if she had been sipping a merlot? Of course not.

What about driving over the speed limit with her child in the car? Unlikely.

This is another case of conspicuous concern, where those who are otherwise apathetic about child welfare suddenly find their inner saint and come to the rescue of “the children.” It’s all very touching until you realize that the state of Nebraska is an abject failure when it comes to child welfare.

According to Nebraska Appleseed, “The problems in the child welfare system are numerous, as widely publicized in the media over the last year and a half, including the neglect of and tragic deaths of young children.”

In fact, Nebraska Appleseed was founded “ in direct response to the haunting reality that the State of Nebraska’s child welfare “system” is far too often failing the thousands of low-income children and families it was meant to help - and faces little to no direct accountability for its failure to act.”

Health and Human Services needs to get its priorities straight. This adventure to slay the mighty marijuana robs resources from areas that desperately need attention. In this case, it also rips a 6-day old baby from her parents.

A marijuana smoker who breastfeeds being charged as a felonious child abuser is an outrage. Even those who would burn the stoner at the stake for their hatred of the devil’s weed should have the “family values” to be concerned for the wellbeing of the infant. As usual, that concern is nowhere to be found.

“For the good of society,” the flowers have been confiscated, officers have taken an infant into custody before she is even a week old, and a mother rots in jail for having breastfed her newborn daughter. That’s America in 2007. We’ve got to make some changes.