Teen Mother Arrested for Marijuana use while Pregnant
By Danell Swim
February 29, 2008
A newborn was hospitalized after doctors discovered marijuana in his system shortly after his birth and Ouachita Parish sheriff’s investigators arrested the mother.
Renita D. Simmons, 18, of West Monroe was booked Wednesday on charges of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile.
Investigators said a caseworker with Glenwood Regional Medical Center called the Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 4 to report a newborn with marijuana in his system.
The caseworker told deputies Simmons gave birth on Feb. 3 and a urine analysis was conducted on the child, according to an incident report.
On Wednesday, the teenage mother admitted to investigators that she used marijuana several times during her pregnancy and used the drug approximately two or three weeks before giving birth, the report stated.
Simmons also admitted to deputies that she knew the drugs could harm her unborn child.
Detectives said that the infant was premature and remained hospitalized as of Thursday.
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5 Responses to “Teen Mother Arrested for Marijuana use while Pregnant”
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it’s nice that they had to throw in the part about the baby being premature in there at the end, since marijuana alone hasn’t been shown to have anything to do with low birth weight. another waste of law enforcement resources on cruel scare tactics and, probably, another lost child in the foster system. way to go, america!
the damage done to the baby and mother by the ‘law’ is far greater than that of thc. With no medical evidence of fetal harm how can this be so illegal?
Right on the money, Kelly. What a waste.
What a load of propaganda crap! Anyone with half a brain can look up clinical studies and medical journals and find out for themselves that marijuana has NOT shown to produce any negative effects to the baby during pregnancy. I wouldn’t be surprised if this entire story is a fabrication.
This happened to my niece…….she is a wonderful good person and mother. Just more nonsense that was initially aimed at “white women that will seek out negros for sex” if they smoke marijuana. JUST SAY NO!! If you get arrested for even a gram DEMAND a Full Jury trial! Beat them at their own stupid hurtful game.