Arizona Supreme Court: "Maternal Use of Cannabis for Morning Sickness Doesn’t Constitute Child Neglect"

The Arizona Supreme Court has declined to hear any further challenges to an appellate court ruling which determined that child welfare officials acted inappropriately when they placed a woman on a state registry for having consumed medical cannabis while pregnant. 

The Court’s order, issued Thursday, removes the mother’s name from appearing on the state’s registry, which is accessible to employers performing background checks.

The Arizona Department of Child Safety initially took action against the mother, Lindsey Ridgell, in 2019 when her newborn tested positive for cannabis. Last April, justices on the Arizona Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the prenatal exposure in this case did not constitute “neglect” because the mother was medically authorized under the law to consume cannabis products to treat symptoms of morning sickness.