Student presentation exploring the relationship between parental marijuana use and child abuse/neglect

Highlighting yet again the diversity of issues covered when students in my Marijuana Law, Policy & Reform seminar "take over" the class by giving presentations, the third presentation scheduled for this week will look at parental marijuana use and the neglect/abuse of children.   Specifically, here is how my student has described her topic along with background readings:

Data surrounding the relationship between parental marijuana use and the neglect/abuse of children is severely limited.  Even so, parental marijuana use may be used to determine the outcomes of a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation.  Marijuana is lumped under the “alcohol and substance abuse” check box on most CPS investigation assessment forms.  This presentation will explore the different ways that parental marijuana use may factor into a CPS investigation and what role racial biases play in determining whether parental marijuana use amounts to substance abuse for purposes of an investigation.

Ohio CPS Intra-Familial Assessment form

Ohio Child Welfare Data Portal

Sylia Wilson & Soo Hyun Rhee, "Causal Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Parents, Parenting, and Children: A Systematic Review," Preventive Medicine, Volume 156 (March 2022).