HTTP/1.0 200 OK Content-Type: text/html Medical Marijuana Advocates Protest Removal of Lansing
Pubdate: Wed, 18 Sep 2013
Source: Detroit Free Press (MI)
Copyright: 2013 Detroit Free Press
Contact: http://www.freep.com/article/99999999/opinion04/50926009
Website: http://www.freep.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/125
Author: Ken Palmer

MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATES PROTEST REMOVAL OF LANSING BABY

The case of a 6-month-old Lansing girl who was removed from her 
parents after a complaint involving medical marijuana has become a 
rallying point for groups aligned behind the state's 5-year-old 
medical marijuana law.

Holding placards and chanting, "Free Bree," dozens of people gathered 
outside the Grand Tower on Tuesday to protest the state Department of 
Human Services' efforts to remove Brielle (Bree) Green from parents 
Gordon (Steve) and Maria Green.

"These are good parents, good loving parents," said Charmie Gholson, 
founder of Michigan Moms United, one of several groups that organized 
Tuesday's news conference.

Gholson said the Green case is among dozens in which state 
caseworkers have disregarded protections in the medical marijuana law 
while trying to remove children from parents who are registered 
patients or caregivers.

"There's nowhere to go when (Children's Protective Services) does 
this," she said. "When they took Bree on Friday, that really was the 
last straw."

Acting on a petition by Children's Protective Services caseworkers, 
an Ingham County Family Court referee on Friday ordered the infant 
removed from her parents' home because her mother - a registered 
medical marijuana caregiver - had marijuana in the house, the groups said.

The referee said the marijuana creates a dangerous situation because 
"someone with a gun could break in," Steve Green said.

A DHS spokesman declined to discuss the Green case, citing privacy constraints.

In general, the agency considers "what kind of choices (parents are) 
making that impact their kids," and how their substance use is 
affecting their children in deciding whether to remove a child, said 
Dave Akerly, acting communications director for DHS.

"The safety and well-being of the children involved is always going 
to be paramount with a CPS investigation," he said.

Steve Green said the CPS petition involving his daughter grew out of 
a custody or visitation dispute between his wife and her ex-husband 
involving another child. Maria's ex-husband filed a complaint with 
CPS saying her home was unfit for children, he said.

When caseworkers visited the home and asked to inspect it, the Greens 
refused to allow them into the "garden," or grow room, without a 
court order, citing a provision in the medical marijuana law that 
says only one person can have access to the room, said Joshua Covert, 
an attorney for the Greens.

Caseworkers went to court and asked for the child to be removed, he said.

"That put (the parents) between a rock and a hard place - either you 
break the law or we take your children away," Covert said.

The infant has been placed with a relative, the Greens said. A 
custody review hearing is set for Friday before Ingham County Probate 
Judge Richard Garcia, according to court records.

Gholson said she is aware of about 20 cases over the past year in 
which caseworkers disregarded protections in the medical marijuana 
law while trying to remove children.

Beside Gholson, state Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) and 
representatives from the Cannabis Council and Law Enforcement Against 
Prohibition spoke at Tuesday's news conference and rally.
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