Mom Smokes:

Oh snap. I said it. It’s true. I am a mom of three and a self proclaimed *gasp* pothead. There have been so many times in the past three years where I couldn’t believe what had happened to me and yet it all made sense.

I love all things natural so finding a natural medication to help treat my anxiety and depression seemed like the best course of action. I also held so tightly to marijuana being “bad” for so long I still have a hard time believing I am a daily consumer of it now.

If you are anything like me this can be a really awkward subject to have brought up by your kids. It can be difficult to decide how you should talk to them about it, but I am hoping that this gives you a little hope—you are not the only stoner mom out there! These are the things that I have done when the subject of marijuana and my use of it comes up with my kids.

You have to first determine how much is the right amount to share in those moments. My eight year old has asked about the dispensaries that we see around town and why they are always SO busy. This has been my opening into talking with him about my consumption without giving him an overwhelming amount of detail.

When you are sharing try to remember the reasons you started using cannabis and lay those out. I have anxiety, depression, and digestive issues. Those are my main reasons for my consumption of cannabis and it’s what I tell my kids. They know when I am having a bad day with any of those. You can physically tell when those things are affecting me. I have clear reasons why I consume weed—I have issues I deal with and I find relief with marijuana. Simple as that. My kids knowing and seeing when I am anxious or my stomach hurts has led to another natural way of talking with them about marijuana. If they see when I am struggling I would rather them see me step outside to smoke or eat something to help relieve those symptoms.

Marijuana is a plant from the earth that helps individuals that struggle with serious health issues find relief. That is a sentence that I have used with my son. And he gets it! That makes sense to him because we use other natural remedies in our family as first steps instead of instinctively grabbing pills or medication. WE ALSO KNOW AND HAVE BEEN CLEAR ABOUT HOW SOMETIMES WE DO NEED A DOCTOR OR PILLS. It’s a balance that we all weigh in on.

I have been clear about when and why I use cannabis with my kids. This has also removed the mystery and appeal that can come from a *taboo* subject and making it an open conversation that they can always come to myself or my husband about. My hope is to have kids that are comfortable talking to me about anything and everything as they grow up.

Do you consume cannabis? And have you broached the subject with your kids? Share in the comments what your experiences have been!

The information in this article has not been evaluated by any medical body. I do not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The information here is shared for educational purposes only. You must consult your primary care provider before acting on any content in this article, especially if you have any medical condition or are taking medication.