Pubdate: Sat, 30 Jul 2011 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2011 Canwest Publishing Inc. Contact: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66 GROW OP KIDS NEED HELP With questionable reasoning, a study by Motherisk, a respected research unit at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital, suggests that children in marijuana grow ops should not be automatically removed from their homes because they face no adverse health risks. While there may be no medical justification to automatically separate them from their parents, it would be folly for child welfare agencies to not intervene. It is certainly true, as the head of Motherisk notes, that taking a child away from a welladapted family environment causes "fear, anxiety, confusion and sadness." Yet health concerns are hardly the sole risk associated with large-scale grow ops. In grow op raids, police often recover guns and large amounts of cash. Those who run factory grow ops typically move frequently. This is no way to raise a child. Motherisk does not suggest that children should never be removedfromparentsinvolved in drug production and trafficking, but says all factors must be weighed. In Alberta, the Drug Endangered Children Act enables authorities to automatically seize children for up to two days. Similar legislation is being considered in Ontario. With the exception of small amounts grown for medical or personal use, a two-day removal is not draconian. It gives authorities a chance to assess the situation and may serve as a wake-up call to parents to examine whether their lifestyle is in the best long-term interests of their children. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom