No matter where you stand on marijuana legalization, I think it’s safe to say that vast majority of us think babies smoking anything is a terrible idea. However, it looks like one 20-year-old North Carolina woman didn’t get the memo. Police arrested Brianna Ashanti Lofto, after a now viral video of her infant daughter smoking marijuana starting blowing up on social media. Lofto has been charged with two counts of felony child abuse, contributing to delinquency, and possession of marijuana. According to arrest warrants, Lofton had her baby smoke “a marijuana blunt.”
In the 10-second video, you you can see an adult bring what looks like a small cigar to the baby’s lips. The baby then appears takes a drag before letting out a puff of smoke. Alarmed Facebook users alerted the authorities by posting screenshots with information about the infant’s mother on Wednesday morning. One user, Rasheed Martin of Rochester, New York, posted a version of the video that had received over 1 million views. Martin says he didn't know the mother, nor has he spoken directly with police. "Big thanks to everyone who posted information about the smoking mother and baby,” the Raleigh Police Department wrote on Facebook. The child has been placed in protective custody.
One neighbor who knew the child told WNCN, “I was totally flabbergasted over the simple fact that I saw that baby smoking.” He continued, “The bad thing about it is I've seen that baby, said hi to the baby, touched that baby, because I have a little daughter of my own, so I interacted with her.”
