Mom Jailed for Letting her Baby Smoke Weed

[Monica]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A Montana mother who allowed her 18-month-old baby daughter to inhale from a marijuana water pipe on several occasions was properly convicted, but should not have to spend five years in jail, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT



Jessica Durham was photographed allowing her toddler Michala to suck from a marijuana water pipe, also known as a bong, in 2004 by a friend upset about the activity.

"Ms. Durham allegedly remarked that smoking improved Michala's appetite and left Michala lethargic and mellow - a manner she found consistent with her own experience smoking marijuana," Judge Louis Pollak of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in summarizing the case.

In 2005, a lower court sentenced Durham to five years in prison for unlawful marijuana distribution. She appealed both the conviction and the sentence.

In its ruling on Friday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit upheld the conviction but said the sentence exceeded the applicable federal law which calls for punishment of no more than two years in prison.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060925/od_nm/marijuana_mom_dc;_ylt=AubsTKsxt7Bd3qdToEN2fUsDW7oF ;_ylu=X3oDMTBhZDhxNDFzBHNlYwNtZW5ld3M-

That is illegal, and you can't just go give babies drugs without a perscription from a doctor! She claims it helps her little girl, but that sounds like an excuse to me... No baby needs that...

[moocow]

Sounds like something Glitch would do.

[biggiy05]

Sounds like something Glitch would do.

I was just thinking about that but giving the baby alcohol instead.

[Rainman]

Five years in jail is outrageous. So is two years. I'm not even convinced the marijuana would harm the baby. At least not anymore than some other things forced onto children. It's certainly less harmful then having her mother taken away for a couple years. As a judge, I'd probably only order her to cease her actions.

[lord_jamitossi]

I officially nominate her for the Mother of the Year award.

[Breaker]

That is illegal, and you can't just go give babies drugs without a perscription from a doctor! She claims it helps her little girl, but that sounds like an excuse to me... No baby needs that...

There are far worse "drugs" than marijuana, and I'd consider many prescription medication to be far more dangerous. She was only stupid enough to allow herself to be photographed and tell people about it.

[Monica]

There are far worse "drugs" than marijuana, and I'd consider many prescription medication to be far more dangerous. She was only stupid enough to allow herself to be photographed and tell people about it.

Yeah, okay, I don't know anything about drugs, but it's gotta be illegal for a good reason doesn't it? And when I said that I was thinking that if it was legal it would probably need to be perscribed, and she could have hurt the baby by giving her a wrong dosage.

They say people with Glaucoma could take it to help our eye pressure but I don't want to because it's illegal.

[Rainman]

Yeah, okay, I don't know anything about drugs, but it's gotta be illegal for a good reason doesn't it?.

This is soo untrue. :shakeno:

[War Lord]

it isn't illegal if you're prescribed it.

Not to mention, Alcohol is legal, but that kills millions every year.
Tylenol is legal, but take 13 of them and that'll be your last headache.

Weed is actually harmless compared to some other "legal" drugs.

[Monica]

Oh it's not illegal if you are prescribed it? That's interesting, I thought it was illegal period... But that means it's just normal, right? If a drug needs a prescription, it's illegal to take it without one isn't it? I know you aren't supposed to share someone else's perscription... Maybe I'm thinking of cocaine as illegal for a reason...:confused:

I don't know why alcohol is legal, never bother with it either... and you can technically OD on anything anyway...

[Glitch]

Sounds like something Glitch would do.

fuck no.

[Matteo]

Marijuana should be legal, but its still a very harmful substance. So is caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. And as Breaker said, many, many prescription drugs are even worse (and some over the counter ones too). But it is still very wrong as a parent to subject something like that to a child. Yes, there are other things that are much more awful that I can think of, but it doesn't take away from the neglect that this mother has shown.

Also, on a side note, anyone who gets their pets high/drunk is an idiot.

[MottZilla]

Like others said, the weed was probably less harmful to the child than other substances would be like alcohol and some other legit medical drugs. It still isn't good for kids either though. It's not harmless, it at the very least could cause social/legal problems for them down the road.

[Breaker]

How the hell did she get the baby to inhale? I'm almost 20 years old and I don't even know how to fucking properly inhale a joint. :| Anyway, she sounds like an idiot. 2 years prison is about right.

[moocow]

How the hell did she get the baby to inhale? I'm almost 20 years old and I don't even know how to fucking properly inhale a joint. :| Anyway, she sounds like an idiot. 2 years prison is about right.

Yeah, I'd like to see the picture so I can understand how exactly an 18-month-old was sucking on a bong.

Anyhow, marijuana is illegal because.........

Well, I'm not really sure why.

[Glitch]

Yeah, I'd like to see the picture so I can understand how exactly an 18-month-old was sucking on a bong.

Anyhow, marijuana is illegal because.........

Well, I'm not really sure why.

Chances are she just put the baby's nose/mouth in the bong. Breathing is all inhaling is.

As far as why weed is illegal. The government has no proper way to tax is. It's far to easily self-grown and widely distributed already.

[Samson007]

Illegal for a good reason, lol.

Take 3 shots one night.

Smoke as much weed as you possibly can another..............trust me, alcohol makes functioning MUCH harder than weed does. It will forever remain a mystery to me why they refuse to let us legally sit around and laugh about random crap for hours on end. I suppose Glitch covered the Governments reason.

It still pisses me off that you can have a party in your yard with as much beer as you want and not have to worry about getting in any trouble, but light one frickin bowl and suddenly the cops act like you're trying to blow up the country.

[Archibaldo]

Marijuana: providing entertainment for infants since 2006.