A new concern for state DHS director
IN discussing what effect, if any, approval of medical marijuana might have on his agency, Department of Human Services Director Ed Lake said, “What we don’t need is more substance abuse and severe impacts on parental functioning. That’s the last thing we need or Oklahoma needs.”
Isn’t that the truth? Then again, those who pushed for passage of medical marijuana via State Question 788 — something Oklahoma voters approved by a 57-43 percent margin June 26 — insist that smoking reefer (medicinally or otherwise) should be the last of anyone’s concerns.
They argue that marijuana hasn’t proven to be addictive, and that the use of medical pot could reduce the terrible toll that opioid abuse has taken in Oklahoma. As we have noted, opioid-related overdoses in states with medical marijuana laws haven’t declined significantly and in many cases they have increased.
Regardless, medical marijuana is now on the books here, although the state Health Department is developing final rules in a process that's being closely watched by proponents and opponents alike. Those like Lake, whose agency deals every day with the result of effects of social dysfunction, are left to hope this new day in Oklahoma doesn’t exacerbate what is a bad situation for his agency.
As The Oklahoman’s Randy Ellis reported Sunday, 10 of every 1,000 Oklahoma children were in foster care in 2016, the most recent year for which federal statistics are available. Only five other states had higher rates (Oklahoma’s rate was equal to that of two other states).
During fiscal year 2017, DHS received 79,310 calls alleging possible abuse and neglect of children. Those calls involved 133,055 kids. Of those reports, 15,289 children were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect.
Substance abuse in a household plays a major role in kids winding up in DHS custody. Last year, methamphetamine was the drug involved in slightly more than 40 percent of cases where substance abuse was substantiated. Marijuana use was cited 26 percent of the time and alcohol slightly more than 10 percent of the time, Lake said.
Opioid addiction has become a significant threat to families in recent years, particularly in cases of neglect, according to Carrie Slatton-Hodges, deputy commissioner of the state’s mental health and substance abuse agency.
Of course, mental health issues often play a role in substance abuse. Slatton-Hodges says more than half of those assisted by her agency have mental illness and addiction issues. Will approval of medical marijuana make things worse?
The answer isn’t known. Officials at DHS are inquiring with colleagues in other medical marijuana states to try to gauge its potential impact on our foster care systems. One potential quandary: Will someone who uses medical marijuana be eligible for consideration as a foster parent, an area of great need in Oklahoma?
The public overwhelmingly endorsed this proposal, which was pitched as simply letting sick people use pot to feel better. But it was never that simple. The potential effects are varied and concerning.