At least two more child abuse deaths related to marijuana use occurred in May. In Florida, Charles Lee left a baby, aged one, alone. He went into the front yard to smoke pot with a 15-year-old and the baby drowned in a backyard pool. It is not clear what Charles Lee’s relationship is to the parents, but they had entrusted him with the child at the time.
In Salt Lake City, a father smoked pot and fell asleep on the floor. He left out a loaded gun and his two year-old shot himself. Both these incidents reflect the irresponsibility, forgetfulness and selfishness that surround using pot. Unfortunately, the victims are so young.
Parents Opposed to Pot has found 11 incidences of children drowning in pools, five of them in Florida and two in California.
We found fives instances when guns killed children small children. In each case, marijuana use appears to have caused the parents’ forgetfulness or lack of attention to the child.
Child abuse related to pot significant everywhere, but stronger where pot’s legal
PopPot has tracked 108 child abuse deaths since the vote to legalize in 2012, with 11 such deaths in Colorado and 10 in California. Editors Note: The child death toll is now up to 302 as of March 29, 2023. Half of the deaths could be termed “accidents,” although smoking pot and not watching your child is much greater than an accident. Fifty percent of the time, violence or acts of violent neglect caused these deaths. Children died in hot cars 10 times, when parents or caregiver under the influence abandoned or forgot about them. However, the number could actually be much higher, because authorities don’t always report or test a parents’ marijuana use.
A medical or recreational marijuana program brings more pot-related child abuse and neglect. Half the child abuse deaths in Texas happened when parents or caregivers abused substances, according to a report put out by Texas. The 2017 report said marijuana was the most-used substance connected to child abuse and neglect deaths.
Child abuse deaths related to marijuana rose in Pennsylvania in 2016, while the state was debating medical marijuana. Specifically, deaths related to children born with THC increased, meaning the mothers used pot during pregnancy.
Butane hash oil fires occur mainly in western states and in Michigan, where residents voted in medical marijuana 10 years ago.
Fires cause death and life-threatening burns
Parents Opposed to Pot found 15 instances in which children died in fires related to parents’ pot use. Of these deaths, two occurred because of butane hash oil (BHO) labs. Pot users get a more potent high from BHO derivatives than with the average joint, and some users try to make it at home.
Last year in Michigan, a mother made BHO in a Manton, Michigan motel causing extensive damage. Both her sons burned very badly. https://www.doovi.com/video/1mantonfire/wRlUVJrCr-8 The 13-year-old suffered from burns on 90% of his body, but his recovery demonstrates that medical miracles are possible.
Two boys in California survived extensive burns from when they were visiting their uncle who made BHO. Dr David Greenhalgh spent six months or more treating the burns on 40 % to 60% of their bodies.