Marijuana Policies Related to Child Abuse and Neglect in the State of Colorado

The Pediatric Injury Prevention Education and Research Program at the Colorado School of Public Health, in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Colorado and the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, conducted an HIA to inform Colorado Department of Human Services consideration of new policies on how marijuana use should be handled in child abuse and welfare decision-making. The legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado has raised public health questions, particularly with regard to children’s welfare. Policies to deal with marijuana use and child abuse and neglect reporting are of special interest. This HIA generated recommendations on policies and procedures that the state should adopt to maximize child health.

Under the same grant, the Colorado School of Public Health, again in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Colorado, will develop a model and pilot procedures to standardize the use of HIAs as part of the community benefit activities that are required for hospitals to acquire and maintain nonprofit status. Nonprofit hospitals are required to conduct community needs assessments and develop implementation plans to improve health in the communities they serve.