Surprising explanation for why a mother provided cannabis-infused treats to her 6-year-old child

Deanna Sue Woods, 36, was sentenced to prison on Wednesday after allegedly admitting to allowing her three children – ages 6, 10, and 15 – to consume marijuana in various forms, including honey and chocolate edibles, as well as drags from her own vape pen, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by People.

An Arkansas mother allegedly confessed to giving her children – including her youngest daughter – marijuana, claiming it was a method to discourage them from smoking it themselves.

She will now serve 120 days in jail, with 60 days of credit, followed by 60 months of supervised probation and a no-contact order with her children. 

In January, a Department of Human Services (DHS) employee spoke with Woods’ six-year-old daughter, through whom they learned that the mother had been allowing three out of four of her children to ingest marijuana and THC-infused edibles, the doc alleges.

The young girl was quickly taken for a drug test, which confirmed traces of THC in her system.

Armed with this information, the agency swiftly contacted a detective with the Brookland Police Department, who arrested Woods the following day, according to the affidavit. 

Once in custody, Woods – who has a valid medical marijuana card, according to KBTX News – allegedly agreed to speak with the arresting detective after being read her Miranda rights, during which she confessed to additional drug-related offenses.

According to court documents, Woods allegedly told Detective Dustin Norwood that she had given three out of four of her children both honey and chocolate edibles laced with marijuana.

Deanna Sue Woods (pictured), 36, of Arkansas, allegedly confessed to giving her children – including her youngest daughter – marijuana, claiming it was a method to discourage them from smoking it themselves

Woods was sentenced to prison on Wednesday after allegedly admitting to allowing her three children – ages 6, 10, and 15 – to consume marijuana in various forms, including honey and chocolate edibles, as well as drags from her own vape pen, according to an affidavit (pictured: stock photo of THC-infused edibles)

Woods (pictured) will now serve 120 days in jail, with 60 days of credit, followed by 60 months of supervised probation and a no-contact order with her children

She also allegedly confessed to allowing both her six-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old child to take hits from her personal vape pen.

While speaking with Norwood, Woods allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana herself – often around her one-year-old toddler, even claiming she had used the drug while breastfeeding, according to court documents. 

She also allegedly confessed to either giving marijuana to or smoking it around her four children at least 12 times over the past year, as reported by KBTX. 

However, Woods allegedly claimed that she did this in an attempt to ‘deter’ her children from using the drug, the docs claim.

Following her confessions, according to the affidavit, the 36-year-old mother agreed to write down her statement.

On Wednesday, Woods pleaded guilty and was charged with 12 counts each of endangering the welfare of a minor in the first degree and introduction of a controlled substance into the body of another person, as reported by People.

She is only allowed contact with her children under the conditions set by the DHS and at the discretion of their guardian, according to KBTX.

A judge also ordered Woods to complete parenting classes, undergo a substance abuse assessment, and attend a rehabilitation program as part of her sentence. Additionally, she was ordered to pay all court costs and fees. 

While speaking with a detective, Woods (pictured) allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana herself – often around her one-year-old toddler, even claiming she had used the drug while breastfeeding, according to court documents

Woods also allegedly confessed to allowing both her six-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old child to take hits from her personal vape pen, according to court docs (pictured: stock photo of THC-infused vape pen)

A judge ordered Woods (pictured) to complete parenting classes, undergo a substance abuse assessment, and attend a rehabilitation program as part of her sentence. Additionally, she was ordered to pay all court costs and fees

Woods’ arrest comes less than a month after a Texas woman was taken into custody after her one-year-old nephew inhaled from her marijuana vape pen. 

Vianney Alyssa Acosta, 20, was arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail last month on charges of child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance. She was released the same day after posting $6,000 bail. 

The incident occurred on May 16 when emergency responders were called to a home on Walker Post Avenue in east El Paso for a toddler who was having difficulty breathing. 

A criminal complaint later stated the child had been ‘smoking a THC vape,’ according to the El Paso Times. 

When deputies arrived the boy was inconsolable, they said. He ‘had droopy eyes and was trying to go to sleep,’ the affidavit states.

The child’s father, grandmother, and Acosta were home at the time, while his mother was at work.

According to the affidavit, the grandmother said she had stepped into the bathroom when Acosta heard the child coughing and found him in her bedroom holding the vape.

The grandmother told deputies the device contained ‘weed’ and belonged to Acosta. When asked if she knew her daughter used THC vapes, she allegedly responded: ‘Well she’s 20.’

Woods’ arrest comes less than a month after 20-year-old Texas woman, Vianney Alyssa Acosta (pictured), was taken into custody after her one-year-old nephew inhaled from her marijuana vape pen 

When deputies arrived at the home, Acosta’s nephew was inconsolable, and ‘had droopy eyes and was trying to go to sleep,’ an affidavit stated (pictured: stock photo of THC-infused vape pen) 

Acosta told deputies she had left the vape in her room and believed it was out of reach.

She ‘right away stated that she had her THC vape somewhere in her room where she thought the victim couldn’t reach it,’ a deputy noted in the report.

Acosta then brought deputies into her bedroom and pointed out the spot where she had left her vape – on top of a nightstand she believed was out of the toddler’s reach. The nightstand stood about two feet tall, investigators noted.

She acknowledged that her nephew ‘has ways to get on the bed to reach out for things’ and admitted the vape ‘was out in the open with just miscellaneous items on top covering it,’ according to the affidavit.

Although she didn’t see the child actually use the pen, Acosta told deputies she assumed he had because ‘he was red; coughing and observed a little bit of smoke,’ which she identified as typical ‘side effects of using THC vapes.’

She also claimed she believed the vape was not working at the time, telling deputies it was likely not charged and had already run out of THC. 

Deputies then transported the boy and his father – who told officers he had no idea what had happened – to The Hospitals of Providence East, where a urine test confirmed the presence of THC, authorities said.