A disturbing video has recently caused controversy nationwide, raising outrage about child endangerment. Lamel Yancey, a 17-year-old from North Little Rock, Arkansas, posted a video on Facebook, showing himself driving while smoking marijuana and encouraging his 3-year-old nephew to smoke it. He now faces felony charges of endangering the welfare of a minor.
The video, 11 minutes long, shows Lamel is in the front seat, while the toddler is sitting alone in the backseat, wearing only a diaper. The car appears to be moving, but the child is not using a seat belt or car seat. Yancey prepares the blunt, giving instructions as he lights it. He takes a drag before repeatedly pressing the whining child, “Do you want to hit the blunt? Do you want to hit the gas?” “Yeah!… weed!” the 3-year-old replied emphatically. His uncle gives him the blunt, and he appears to puff it several times. Yancey urges him to “hit the blunt one more time” before declaring it enough and taking it from him.
To an unidentified female passenger, Yancey admits that the child is “high already” and “about to smell.” The child starts coughing and crying. North Little Rock Police suspect that the woman in the vehicle is his mother. Towards the end of the video, she is heard protesting, to which Yancey responds that he’ll smoke more with the child later.
The video was originally discovered on Sept. 1st during a police investigation of burglary, for which Yancey is suspect. The child was taken by DSHS (Dpt. of Social & Health Services) and brought to a Children’s Hospital for hair follicle testing, to provide more clues about his history of drug consumption. Results will not be released. During an interview, Sgt. Brian Dedrick of North Little Rock Police says “The child holds this like someone who is going to be smoking it, so it makes you think this is not the first time this child has been exposed to this.”
The child has since been returned to the custody of his grandmother. Yancey will be tried as an adult for child endangerment, and is currently being held at the Pulaski County Jail in Little Rock. His bail is set at $2500. The trial is scheduled for November 11th.
In Arkansas, possession of under four ounces of marijuana is considered a Class A Misdemeanor. Offenders can be punished with up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
In November of this year, Arkansas residents will vote on Issues 6 and 7 as constitutional amendments. Issue 6, known as the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act (AMCA) proposes that sales tax revenue is divided into various programs, such as Arkansas’ Vocational Training and Skills Development programs. Issue 6 also strictly prohibits personal cultivation. Issue 7, or the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment (AMMA) is touted as what would be the most comprehensive medical marijuana program in the South. This amendment allows patients to grow at home and insists sales tax revenue be reinvested in the medical marijuana program.
