Cannabis Culture and Parenting – The Stoner Mom – Latest Cannabis News Today

Let’s put it out that there is nothing wrong with relaxing by having a drink or however many. Parenting is hard and no one is calling healthy vices wrong. Whatever any person needs to do to take the edge off of long day being caregiver, is supported as self care from this author. This is not “Wine culture is wrong and cannabis culture is right.” This is also not a defence of addiction.

The last few years it’s become a common Mom trope that “Your the reason Mommy drinks.” It’s a joke, a fun little reason to explain why you enjoy having a drink or two at night. Frankly, we all know parenting is hard work. Being the primary caregiver is a tough, stressful and demanding job.

So why is there still a stigma about a parent smoking?

Even in 2021 people still side eye any parent who admits they smoke cannabis. While it’s perfectly fine for someone to have a glass of wine while cooking dinner or giving a child a bath. It’s not the act of altering your mind that is sneered at, but rather the stereotypes of a stoner and negative connotations associated with cannabis.

Stoners are lazy, so they must be bad parents. It gets difficult not to generalise, but this is the most common myth about cannabis consumers. Tokers have been trying to dispel this rumour for decades, and while many different strains do couch lock a person, it’s ignorant to think that people who smoke are suddenly more lazy than someone who has a drink or doesn’t drink or smoke.

Speaking from personal experience smoking can help me focus on maintaining law, order and sanity. Sativa strains are best for during the day to help with my personal chronic pain and flighty train of thoughts. It assists me by helping to maintain focus on the repetitive and boring tasks that come with being a home bound parent. I can’t be the only one who hates dishes! While indica’s have helped me marathon cartoons with the kids when its a cold and wintry Alberta day. You know, those days where the house is clean, the kids are bored and if you need to watch Frozen 2 one more time something might crack.

Biased information still circulating

At this time, even the Health Canada website feels antiquated with it’s information regarding smoking cannabis while parenting. Cannabis, like alcohol, is a controlled substance and it is strongly recommend/enforced that there should always be a sober person present with children. This includes if children as simply asleep in the house. The legalities of being a parent and smoking cannabis is fairly murky. So please make sure to protect yourself and children by educating yourself on the regulations.

“Using cannabis may affect parent-child interactions and attachment.” Is almost an insulting claim from the Government of Canada’s website. While one can argue that a parent who has smoked or ingested cannabis is not themselves while high; it goes hand in hand with the “Weed as LSD” culture that Harry J. Anslinger had a part in creating. The website has not been modified since October 17th, 2018 and does not seem to match up with factual science in some aspects.

It’s interesting to see that the Canadian Government website does not cite sources, journals or explain why they make any of the claims on this particular page.

As stoner parents, we can only hope and work towards a more positive association. Every day we succeed in raising our children, being productive members of society is another step towards breaking the negative stigma surrounding our favourite herb.