New Jersey Dad Gives 13-Year Old Pot for Birthday

Gift from Father
A New Jersey man was arrested Friday for allegedly providing his 13-year old son with marijuana. The boy, who was caught with the drug in school, told police that the pot was a 13th birthday gift from his dad. When questioned further, the child provided more incriminating information about his father, including the whereabouts of drugs and drug paraphernalia in the home. The teen was taken to the police station for questioning, and his grandmother was called in as well.

Charges
Both the father, 39 year-old Albert F. Fuller, Sr., and the 13-year old son, whose name is withheld because he is a minor, face drug charges in Gloucester County, New Jersey. The boy was charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana. The father is charged with drug possession as well as endangering the welfare of a child. The father is being held on $25,000 bail, and is ordered not to have any contact with the child.

Search of Home
The pair live in the home of the child's grandmother, who is a legal guardian of the teen. The grandmother gave police permission to do a search. When police conducted a search of the premises, they found several bags of marijuana as well as methamphetamines hidden above ceiling lights in the basement of the home.

Parental Drug Use Affects Kids
According to a Study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the use of marijuana by a parent triples the risk that a child will use marijuana. This is true for both mothers and fathers, and for both sons and daughters, and applies to all ethnic and racial groups. For parents who used cigarettes, alcohol, or cocaine, their children were even more likely to use marijuana.