by Hsing Tseng
DENVER -- 35-year old Shannon Mamer has two herniated discs and
suffers from chronic pain that she used to treat with medical
marijuana. She gave up the drug when she was four months pregnant even
though she doesn’t believe documented health concerns connected to
infants and marijuana use.
“I think honestly there is a greater risk from the Zoloft that I`m
taking,” said the Colorado Springs mom, who we first interviewed when
she was 7 months pregnant.
Mamer admitted she only stopped using marijuana because she knows
hospitals are mandatory reporters if a baby tests positive for THC at
birth.
The Colorado Health Department says there is no known safe amount of
marijuana use during pregnancy.
As a result, new warning labels take
affect October 1st at medical dispensaries statewide.
The labels, which already exist at recreational marijuana shops read,
“There may be additional health risks associated with the consumption
of this product for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning on
becoming pregnant.”
“We don’t know what a safe amount would be,” said Dr. Kathryn Wells, a
pediatric professor with the University of Colorado. Dr. Wells admits
the research is limited but believes there is at least a moderate risk
when it comes to marijuana and babies. “The strongest evidence is risk
for cognitive intellectual attention challenges that can occur as late
as adolescents if those babies were exposed prenatally,” said Dr. Wells.
As a result, State Senator Jack Tate (R-Centennial) wants signs or placards in all marijuana shops, not just labels on products.
“A comprehensive label and signage program to help women understand
that there are implications associated when using marijuana,” said
Tate. He pushed such a measure in last year’s legislature but it died
in committee.
FOX31 has agreed to protect the identity of one Denver mom who told
us she was cited for Child Neglect because her baby tested positive for
T-H-C at birth.
“They’re punishing us for not giving us fair warning,” complained the
mom, who bought medical marijuana last year when it came with no
warning labels. She told FOX31 she smoked just a few times during her
last month of pregnancy to treat anxiety and chronic pain, “When I found
out I was pregnant they wanted to wean me off of the morphine and I
wanted to do as well, so the baby wouldn`t be dependent on the
morphine.”
She never guessed admitting to marijuana use would cause Child Protection Services to open an investigation.
“I had no idea,” said the 32-year old mom. Colorado law
automatically “defines abuse as an infant testing positive for a
Schedule 1 substance” and THC remains a Schedule 1 substance.
“We’re not calling Child Protection Services when a pregnant woman
drinks a glass of red wine,” points out Tyler Henson, President of the
Cannabis Chamber of Commerce. Henson believes pregnant women should
decide for themselves if they’re going to use marijuana while pregnant,
“There`s medical evidence that shows that this helps women during
their pregnancy. "
Henson feels Colorado should show more discretion when it comes to investigating new moms for marijuana use.
“Earlier this year when the Colo. Dept. of Health and Environment
released their study, the results came back mixed. They couldn`t say
whether it had a profound affect or a negative effect,” said Henson.
FOX31 submitted an Open Records Request to the Department of Human
Services asking how many investigations were opened in Colorado last
year based on babies testing positive for THC, but the department said
it has no way to track that.
But the agency did provide a statement that says, “If a parent is
using a substance but still providing a safe, low-risk environment for
the child there may be no grounds for continued intervention."
But mom Shannon Mamer wonders why there any intervention with her,
since both she and her baby son tested negative for THC by the time her
infant was born.
“I got reported to C.P.S. just by way of it being in my medical records, just by being honest with my doctors,” said Mamer.
Mamer complains her son was put on Methadone for the first days of
his life, to wean him of his mother’s prescribed Percocet. Mamer feels
she and her son would’ve been better off if she had been able to
continue using Medical Marijuana.
“I had probably one of the hardest pregnancies that you could imagine,” said Mamer.
Mamer’s been told that if social workers reach a finding of Child
Neglect, it’ll show up in employment background checks. "I`ve been a
nanny before, I`ve worked in Before and After school Care programs, so
it would make me ineligible for that kind of work,” said Mamer.
Mamer and the mom whose identity FOX31 protected, both said they regret being honest with their doctors.
“It’s hard to believe that in the state where it is legal, you face so much backlash,” said Mamer.
If you’d like to read the report released last year from the Colorado
Department of Health and Environment titled “Marijuana use During
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding”.
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