Boy calls cops on Parents for growing Marijuana

[Chris Brady]

From an opinion site called Sodahead:

"A Doylestown Township boy called police earlier this month to report that his father was growing marijuana in the basement of their home on the 2000 block of Par Drive. When police went to the home, the boy led Sgt. Charles Zeigler to the basement where the officer saw a room with several marijuana plants inside, according to court records."

Read More: http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/crime/police-kid-reports-parental-pot-growers/article_86e327dc-5c63-5a92-b363-eaccc2a7c850.html

What really saddens me is how the comments mostly gang up against the kid, who might have been saving his own, or the lives of his siblings.  Mold is bloody NASTY.  I've seen what it can do a house cat, what makes you think humans are immune to mold in the lungs.  Personally I applaud the kid's initiative.  He knew what was right from wrong and did something about it.

[Revolverman]

Never mind the fun of a gang hit on your house, or a dusting with an AK, or a firebomb.

[SinXAzgard21]

Never mind the fun of a gang hit on your house, or a dusting with an AK, or a firebomb.

That is very unlikely to happen. 

If you don't have a licence to grow it don't plain and simple.

[Revolverman]

That is very unlikely to happen. 

If you don't have a licence to grow it don't plain and simple.

You haven't seen the gang wars up here then.

[SinXAzgard21]

You haven't seen the gang wars up here then.

Dude, I'm from east LA.  I lived in that shit for over 18 years.  While marijuana has a heavier traffic flow, it is the cheapest out of the drugs on the market.  Most the reason people get caught with it is due to them growing in a dumb ass place.  And the only way you get your house hit is if you are selling in someones 'territory'...  I highly doubt these rich folk where in the hood dealing to the local gang community.

But on the article, I believe that the kids did the right thing.  Not to mention if you don't have a license to grow you shouldn't.

Edit: realized that I worded this incorrectly, I do apologize.

[OldSchoolGamer]

Time to legalize cannabis and be done with it. 

Then people wouldn't have an incentive to grow on a large scale--anyone who smoked it, could grow their own.  That would do more damage to the gang problem than building a dozen new prisons and raping fifty thousand asses.

[vtboy]

Time to legalize cannabis and be done with it. 

Agreed, but why stop with cannabis?

Though use of "hard" drugs is obviously not a healthy choice, there must be better ways to restrain this supposed scourge than through the penal industry we've created. While costs (both direct and indirect) attendant to arrest, prosecution and punishment of users and dealers have been enormous, any significant reduction in drug abuse, at best, remains to be shown.

It is also far from clear that many controlled substances are any the more toxic or addictive than, say, sugar, which is proving an exponentially greater threat to the public's health and purse. In the last analysis, what really is the difference between selling cocaine and selling Coca-Cola, save perhaps for the political and regulatory influence purchased by purveyors of the latter?

Though I cannot cite surveys or polls, I suspect there is extensive overlap between those who are convinced of the wisdom of continuing the war on drugs and those who oppose "nanny state" intervention to improve the diet and overall health of our children. Go figure.   

[Florence]

Agreed, but why stop with cannabis?

Though use of "hard" drugs is obviously not a healthy choice, there must be better ways to restrain this supposed scourge than through the penal industry we've created. While costs (both direct and indirect) attendant to arrest, prosecution and punishment of users and dealers have been enormous, any significant reduction in drug abuse, at best, remains to be shown.

It is also far from clear that many controlled substances are any the more toxic or addictive than, say, sugar, which is proving an exponentially greater threat to the public's health and purse. In the last analysis, what really is the difference between selling cocaine and selling Coca-Cola, save perhaps for the political and regulatory influence purchased by purveyors of the latter?

Though I cannot cite surveys or polls, I suspect there is extensive overlap between those who are convinced of the wisdom of continuing the war on drugs and those who oppose "nanny state" intervention to improve the diet and overall health of our children. Go figure.

I heavily support the legalization of anything that doesn't cause harm to others. People have the right to inflict whatever harm they want on their own bodies, but drugs that can cause people to hurt others (ie. that Miami "zombie" attack) should stay illegal. And obviously there would have to be certain rules just like with tobacco and alcohol, like... no getting high and driving, or operating heavy machinery. I don't really do any drugs myself, I believe that intelligent adults should be treated as such, and allowed to make their own decisions about what to put into their bodies.

[SinXAzgard21]

Time to legalize cannabis and be done with it. 

It will never happen.  Hemp is one of the main reasons why it will not... It can make just about anything...  And that is bad for businesses such as clothing lines, paper production which would affect the lumber business.  Yeah, everyone needs to get used to it staying illegal...  Be glad they are using it in medicine at least.

[Vekseid]

It will never happen.  Hemp is one of the main reasons why it will not... It can make just about anything...  And that is bad for businesses such as clothing lines, paper production which would affect the lumber business.  Yeah, everyone needs to get used to it staying illegal...  Be glad they are using it in medicine at least.

Being more defeatist than OldSchoolGamer ought to deserve Elliquiy's version of the ignoble awards, or something.

It's not like medicinal marijuana just popped out of nowhere, nor is it going to stay there.

[Kate]

If you legalized everything, regulated everything, taxed everything.. what I believe would happen is that drugs generally are of higher quality (made by pharmaceutical companies).

When prohibition occurred in the US - people made their own .. or bought from those that paid no tax to a government (or had any inclination to conform AT ALL) and obviously not well as a true distiller would.

If the pharmaceutical companies were regulated and that a percentage of het profits of their recreation drugs line was forced to go into refining the drug into one less damaging in the short term and long term .. to me everyone wins.

Those who dont like drugs - simple, dont buy them.
Those that do not like druggies .. simple dont be friends with them.

Those that are druggies that dont like those with an-anti-drug policy... fine dont hand with them.

Each to their own.

Never in history has humans EVER been anything than on the whole druggies, every culture, every time.
Animals are too .. happy to get off on whatever fruit etc has narcotic effects. Altered mental and emotional effects is a natural inclinations for MOST manuals.

Imposing rules and laws to assume a "ok citizen" is one that is based on principals or religion that is against this anthropological view ... => Insane.

If they are addicted ? => Medical issue.

I think with this adopted the appearance of backyard bath-salts etc => 0.

The quickest way to put money and power into the hands of the wrong people => make it illegal.

[Sabby]

Pot is harmless, and wasting money fighting it only makes the situation worse. It should have been brought into medical researching at large years ago. Regardless of this kids situation (I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons to report his folks) I just find it saddening that children everywhere are taught to report this stuff. If he had had good parents that took care of the home and were still growing weed, and the kid reported them for it, then this would be a very sad story :(

[Chris Brady]

Sabby.  His parents were threatening his life.  To grow pot underground requires water that would cause mold, and mold infections get into the lungs.  That can often end up being fatal.  I lost a cat due to mold.  It is bloody dangerous.  The weed isn't dangerous here, it's the shortsightedness of his parents.  The scary part is that by the time they would have detected the lung damage, it would have likely been too late for the kids living in the basement.

After all, doctors are likely going to have to ask peky questions about how the infection happened...

[Kate]

If they were growing it underground (and doing it "properly") it is likely they would be under very hot lights
and water would be regulated to about the root system.

*: Subjective

[Will]

Sabby.  His parents were threatening his life.  To grow pot underground requires water that would cause mold, and mold infections get into the lungs.  That can often end up being fatal.  I lost a cat due to mold.  It is bloody dangerous.  The weed isn't dangerous here, it's the shortsightedness of his parents.  The scary part is that by the time they would have detected the lung damage, it would have likely been too late for the kids living in the basement.

After all, doctors are likely going to have to ask peky questions about how the infection happened...

There is no mention of mold being found in the house.  Just a brief mention by the writer of the article that some grow operations can lead to mold.  Clearly that is a danger that can be moderated with the right attention.  And I'm not sold on the idea that the kid reported them because he was afraid of mold damage.  The article doesn't say how old he was, but it made him sound pretty young.  Surely there were other factors that made him want to call in the cops.

That said, growing marijuana with a handful of young children in the house is irresponsible for other reasons.  Growing marijuana with a teenager in the house is just plain stupid, given the likelihood of them eventually telling someone.

[Chris Brady]

Experts have said that some forms of marijuana growing operations can lead to the production of massive amounts of mold that can cause health problems. In addition to the drug charges, Medvedik and Shanfeld are charged with endangering the welfare of children.

I never said they did.  But the fact of the matter is that these people were not horticulturalists, which implies that they may not have known about the mold issue.  And likely would NOT have reported it, because they were afraid of being caught.  Thing is no details of the growth operation have been released to my knowledge.

According to police, the room where the marijuana was growing was not locked. Outside the room were traced hand prints from the children and their names written on the wall. Police said outside the “grow room” the basement was furnished with a large-screen television, video game system and children’s toys. Police said two of the children slept in a bedroom in the basement that had bunk beds and children’s toys inside.

This above paragraph bothers me as well.  They kept it near the kid's playroom, and two of the possibly younger kids' bedroom.  This doesn't sound to me like responsible parenting to me.

Also, Marijuana doesn't medically work for everything people are wanting it to:

http://www.thecamreport.com/2010/10/medicinal-cannabis-for-painful-diabetic-neuropathy/

And for those of you claiming to want to legalize most 'recreational' drugs, I want to ask you this:  How much resources do you want the big pharmaceuticals to pull away from other, more helpful, medicines, like Cancer aids, or HIV cocktails, or even flu medication?

Because they WILL have to put some of their people, skilled people, into departments to making pot, crack, meth or any other of the various drugs 'safe'.  Not to mention that what if they can't, what if making it 'safe' kills have the potency?  Recreational drugs tend to impair thinking for long periods of time, not to mention that the addictive qualities could still lead to assaults and stupidity, legal or not.

[Will]

I never said they did.  But the fact of the matter is that these people were not horticulturalists, which implies that they may not have known about the mold issue.  And likely would NOT have reported it, because they were afraid of being caught.  Thing is no details of the growth operation have been released to my knowledge.

You're still making assumptions about what they did or did not know.  You don't need to be professionally trained to have a working knowledge of something, do you?  As I said, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned/outraged about what they were doing that don't have anything to do with the mold issue.  Which is a non-issue, as far as I am concerned.  Again, I highly doubt that a child was suddenly so concerned about mold (which often can't be seen) that he called the police. 

I just don't understand why you would jump on the mold issue, which seems so tenuous, when there are more solid reasons to be outraged.  Like, you know, the parents putting their freedom at risk when they have an apparent fuckton of kids to care for.

And for those of you claiming to want to legalize most 'recreational' drugs, I want to ask you this:  How much resources do you want the big pharmaceuticals to pull away from other, more helpful, medicines, like Cancer aids, or HIV cocktails, or even flu medication?

Because they WILL have to put some of their people, skilled people, into departments to making pot, crack, meth or any other of the various drugs 'safe'.  Not to mention that what if they can't, what if making it 'safe' kills have the potency?  Recreational drugs tend to impair thinking for long periods of time, not to mention that the addictive qualities could still lead to assaults and stupidity, legal or not.

Or they could hire more people?  These pharmaceutical companies would stand to make a lot of money if the recreational drug market suddenly fell into their lap, after all.

Also, the idea that legalizing drugs would lead to crime is a bit backwards.  Drugs are a crime, so legalizing them would decrease crime.  And I don't believe legalization would lead to a dramatic increase in drug use, so all of the stupid decisions/assaults that you think would happen are already happening.

[Sarena]

Nope, Marijuana's not harmful at all.  Just ask my 28 yo brother who's been smoking the shit since he was 14.  Nope, marijuana's not harmful at all.  He's doing great living in his single-wide trailer with no education, no ambition and no f*ing drive to do anything.  (And this is coming from a recovering drug addict with a much "harder" drug of choice, by the way. As a side note, there's nothing "recreational" about so-called recreational drugs.  I find the phrase absolutely laughable. ) 

Fact is, in MODERATION, it may very well be perfectly safe and even be as helpful medically as so many claim it is.  However, here's the funny thing about addicts.  WE HAVE NO CONCEPT OF MODERATION.  So yeah, I fall on the side of 'let's just keep fighting the war because our kids are worth fighting for'.  Thank you very much.

The article clearly states that, as Chris quoted, that the plants were growing in a room that was not locked and that there were 18 marijuana plants growing inside the room.  Not to mention containers of it and paraphernalia for smoking it were found in other areas of the house.  This much marijuana indicates, at least to me, that this isn't a first time "experiment" to make some money on their part.  This is hardly a "few" plants.  The kid is being labeled an "angsty brat" that "went against the family" and "disrespected his parents" by turning against them and calling the cops.  (All of the quoted bits in that sentence were pulled from comments to the article, not the article itself.)

Seriously?

The issue of whether or not marijuana should be legalized or not aside, these so-called parents are in the wrong.  Not the kid.  He'd be applauded as being courageous and brave if he stepped forward and reported his father for abusing a sibling or himself.  But in this case, he's catching all kinds of flack over doing the right thing.  Because like it or not, it is illegal.  That's the bottom line.

This is exactly why I quit reading the comments that came after articles posted online.  Frankly, just because we have the freedom to spew vile, hateful things in the form of words does not mean we should say everything that springs to mind.

[Will]

Nope, Marijuana's not harmful at all.  Just ask my 28 yo brother who's been smoking the shit since he was 14.  Nope, marijuana's not harmful at all.  He's doing great living in his single-wide trailer with no education, no ambition and no f*ing drive to do anything.  (And this is coming from a recovering drug addict with a much "harder" drug of choice, by the way. As a side note, there's nothing "recreational" about so-called recreational drugs.  I find the phrase absolutely laughable. ) 

Fact is, in MODERATION, it may very well be perfectly safe and even be as helpful medically as so many claim it is.  However, here's the funny thing about addicts.  WE HAVE NO CONCEPT OF MODERATION.  So yeah, I fall on the side of 'let's just keep fighting the war because our kids are worth fighting for'.  Thank you very much.

Does someone who sits in their trailer all day smoking weed deserve to go to jail for it?  Do they deserve to be punished more than they've already punished themselves?  This is not a war against drugs; this is a war against people who made poor decisions.  I just don't see the point.  If you're trying to stop the influx of drugs into the country, that I can understand.  But this is all punitive at best, and at worst, an attempt to squeeze money out of people who can hardly afford it.  I don't have an enormous amount of sympathy for addicts like that, but it just seems so pointless.  Corrupt, even.

Then there's the inherent paradox of hiring people to stop the drug trade... if it's stopped, what happens to all those jobs?  Wouldn't they have a vested interest in making the problem bigger, instead of smaller?  More money gets thrown at the issue, and into certain peoples' pockets, because that's how our government seems to work.

With that said, I'm not for legalization across the board.  Primarily because of situations like the one in the OP's article.  Obviously that's a situation where the parents should be punished, and probably the kids removed (although the foster care system is its own nightmare and might not be an improvement for them.  It might even be worse).  I just think that this all-out "war on drugs" is irresponsibly run and needs a massive rethinking and overhaul.

[Chris Brady]

You're still making assumptions about what they did or did not know.  You don't need to be professionally trained to have a working knowledge of something, do you?  As I said, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned/outraged about what they were doing that don't have anything to do with the mold issue.  Which is a non-issue, as far as I am concerned.  Again, I highly doubt that a child was suddenly so concerned about mold (which often can't be seen) that he called the police. 

I just don't understand why you would jump on the mold issue, which seems so tenuous, when there are more solid reasons to be outraged.  Like, you know, the parents putting their freedom at risk when they have an apparent fuckton of kids to care for.

I'm not saying the kid knew.  I'm saying that it's good that the kid did report, because apparently his parents are too stupid to have that many kids and still grow pot in LARGE quantities, without realizing the health issues.

Or they could hire more people?  These pharmaceutical companies would stand to make a lot of money if the recreational drug market suddenly fell into their lap, after all.

Not enough to offset the costs of hiring the new people, expanding and creating new facilities to make it, without raising the cost of said drugs.  Which would play in the black market's hands.  They could offer the same thing, but cheaper, and probably easier to access.  In the end, not a damn thing would change, except more people would be on the drugs.

Also, the idea that legalizing drugs would lead to crime is a bit backwards.  Drugs are a crime, so legalizing them would decrease crime.  And I don't believe legalization would lead to a dramatic increase in drug use, so all of the stupid decisions/assaults that you think would happen are already happening.

Logically, YES, it's backwards, but I have to say, living in this pisshole has taught me that, legalizing drugs WILL lead to crime.  It hasn't stopped the cigarette industry or smokers from buying contraband cigarettes.  The illegal trade can cut corners and provide it cheaper than the legal trade can, because safety is not a concern.  Addicts don't care where it's from, just that they get it.

And yes, legal or not, people will STILL be beating up, murdering, stealing for their fix.

Around here, they implemented clinics to help people who are on hard drugs get clean needles.  The goal was to provide a safe environment and prevent the spread of AIDs and similar diseases.  And hopefully, decrease the amount of addicts by educating them.

The result?  Total failure.  In fact, it's had the opposite effect.  There are MORE people taking these things now, BECAUSE it's safer to do so.  And they are still assaulting each other for their fixes.

Legalizing drugs will make it more widespread and detrimental.  As Sarena (Who I would like to thank for bravely admitting that she was an addict, that couldn't have been easy) pointed out, addicts have NO SENSE OF SELF-CONTROL!

There is a reason I'm both a teetotaler and avoid drugs, I have ADHD, I KNOW I have it, and after doing research on it, I'm almost a text book case.  I got lucky, despite being poor.  ADHD people have an addictive personality, we get hooked on things very easily.  And I SEE THIS, in my OWN life, every day.  I have my parents control my money, because I would spend the entire disability check in one DAY, if I didn't set some controls for myself.  I'm overly impulsive.  Most of us ADHD folks are.

I'm lucky I'm addicted to gaming, that's a relatively cheap (comparatively), and I can more out of it than I would drinking (which I loved to do.  Still do, but I stick to water or fruit juices.  I still drink WAY too much as it is) and I get to keep my relatively sucky home.  But at least I still have a roof over my head.

[Sarena]

I'm not saying the war on drugs is flawless.  Obviously it is not.  But to declare all drugs across the board legal because the system in place for fighting it is flawed would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  The system is flawed.  What works for one addict doesn't work for every addict.  There needs to be some give and take on figuring out the best way to treat the disease and helping the person return to a state of health.  Sometimes 6 months in a State Jail treatment facility is enough to make a difference in someone's life.  Sometimes, sadly a lot of times, not so much.  That doesn't mean we don't keep trying.  (And, Will, I know you are not the one suggesting an across the board legalization, and it's quite possible that suggestion was made with a bit of sarcasm, it's hard to tell sometimes.)

Does someone who sits in their trailer all day smoking weed deserve to go to jail for it?  Do they deserve to be punished more than they've already punished themselves?  This is not a war against drugs; this is a war against people who made poor decisions.  I just don't see the point.  If you're trying to stop the influx of drugs into the country, that I can understand.  But this is all punitive at best, and at worst, an attempt to squeeze money out of people who can hardly afford it.  I don't have an enormous amount of sympathy for addicts like that, but it just seems so pointless.  Corrupt, even.

In the case of the person sitting in their trailer all day smoking weed, e.i. my brother, well, sure he's hurting himself.  He's also hurting his pregnant ex and 4 yo son because he can't keep a job to pay child support.  He's also hurting his family who is absolutely helpless to do anything to help him but worries about him every day.  And then, you also have to wonder just how he's getting the money to pay that light bill and keep his internet and phone on.  So, it makes you wonder what "victimless crime" is he committing to get the money to not only pay for his habit but his bills too.

@Chris, thank you.  It's not something I talk about very often and have never openly discussed on the forums. 

[Chris Brady]

Will, Sarena's brother is hurting others.  He's lowered his production value to society, hurting the economy by feeding a habit that impairs thinking, motor control, judgement and reflexes.  This is not the type of person you want working at anything more than a McDonald's and even then, do you want him to handle more than a mop?

Taking drugs may not seem like it's causing others harm, but it IS.

[edit]And Sarena explains it better than I am.  Thank you.

[Will]

Will, Sarena's brother is hurting others.  He's lowered his production value to society, hurting the economy by feeding a habit that impairs thinking, motor control, judgement and reflexes.  This is not the type of person you want working at anything more than a McDonald's and even then, do you want him to handle more than a mop?

Taking drugs may not seem like it's causing others harm, but it IS.

[edit]And Sarena explains it better than I am.  Thank you.

@Both - I never said it was a "victimless crime," or that he wasn't hurting anyone.  My point is that incarceration and/or fines do little to nothing to help.

[Chris Brady]

@Both - I never said it was a "victimless crime," or that he wasn't hurting anyone.  My point is that incarceration and/or fines do little to nothing to help.

The sad part of it is, unless he WANTS help, NOTHING will.  Laws won't work, intervention won't work, education won't work.  They, the person, at the core of the issue, has to WANT to end it.  And if he doesn't (In this case) it won't.

I approve of what the kid did because he may have saved the lives of his fellow siblings, due to the stupidity of his own parents.  He may have done it because of the drug, but the fall out effect of growing it was more severe and more dangerous.  The Mold is just ONE part.  Getting the rest of his siblings hooked on Pot would have been just as bad.  Especially since most kids have yet to learn any sense of self control.  Hell, there are a LOT of non-drug-addicted ADULTS that don't know how to self-control.  I will dead honest with you, I AM ONE OF THEM.

[Sarena]

The sad part of it is, unless he WANTS help, NOTHING will.  Laws won't work, intervention won't work, education won't work.  They, the person, at the core of the issue, has to WANT to end it.  And if he doesn't (In this case) it won't.

This is very true.  In my case, I was arrested during the lowest point of my addiction and was at a point where I was desperate for help but had no idea how to go about getting it.  There were too many inside and outside influences talking in my ear for me to see and think clearly enough to take the steps necessary to get sober and stay that way.  Too many so-called friends that had a vested interest in my staying addicted.  Being arrested when I was was the absolute best thing that could have happened to me.  It provided me enough time away from the people and places and the drugs for me to fully, finally realize just how much I stood to lose.  I've been sober 10 years, and to this day, I still thank God for the police officer that pulled me over that night and arrested me.  He and six months of intensive therapy saved my life.

If the solution to the problem were that simple for every addict, it would not be constitute a war.  Proven fact, lessen the demand and there's no need for supply.  Lessen the supply, and the demand grows until a new product comes out to meet it.  It needs to be fought on both fronts, supply and demand.