MOM CHALLENGES CAS

Hamilton Legalized Pot Advocate Advises Her To Reject Drug Test

An Oakville mother of four who admits to smoking marijuana regularly
is challenging a request by the Children's Aid Society of Halton to
undergo a drug test.

While the 39-year-old single mother, who wishes to be identified only
as Joey, insists pot smoking does nothing to harm her children's
quality of life, she remains uncertain about how a decision to reject
the voluntary test will affect her rights as a mother.

Joey, who says she smokes up to help manage severe arthritis pain and
anxiety, turned to Hamilton pot legalization activist Chris Goodwin
for advice after a caseworker visited her home early last week.

Goodwin, who owns the controversial Up In Smoke marijuana cafe on
King Street East, was investigated by the Children's Aid Society of
Hamilton last fall. A Hamilton caseworker visited Goodwin and his
wife's home several times to determine whether their daily pot
consumption was harming their infant son.

The investigation, sparked by a report filed by a Hamilton police
constable, was closed after it was determined the child was not at
risk. During the investigation, Goodwin was asked to take a voluntary
drug test. He refused and advised Joey to do the same. "I didn't have
anything to hide but I also have a right to privacy," he said Saturday.

"(CAS) has an onus to prove risk of harm before I give (them) access
to my body."

Goodwin said he appreciates the work the CAS does in removing
children from abusive homes, but feels its focus on recreational and
medicinal pot users is misguided. "I promote responsible use of
marijuana," he added. "I'm never impaired in front of my son. We're
very responsible."

Joey said she readily admitted to the Halton caseworker that she
smokes marijuana regularly, but insisted she doesn't do so in front
of her children.

An on-call Halton CAS supervisor contacted this weekend declined to
comment on that agency's policies around parental pot use. A
spokesperson for the Children's Aid Society of Hamilton said more
sophisticated drug testing technology has led to more tests by
Ontario child protection agencies. Ingrid Hauth, director of ongoing
protection services at Hamilton CAS, said it's aware of the
"difference between substance use and substance abuse," but drug use
has proven to play a significant role in many cases involving child
abuse and neglect.