Outdated Stigmas for Colorado Canna-Moms

It’s such a common scenario in TV and movies that viewers hardly bat an eye. A mother or father comes home after a long day of working full time, taking the kids to soccer practice and grabbing groceries, and sits down on the couch with a glass of wine in hand to talk to a significant other or older family member. Gone are the Reagan Era days where a mother who imbibed a glass of wine or beer every once in a while was considered a lush—feminism has won a few battles, and moms are some of the most stressed people out there, so it makes total sense that they’d want to imbibe.

However, replace that glass of wine with a joint or even a vape pen full of cannabis, and Americans everywhere drop what they’re doing and stare in shock. Perhaps if the mom has cancer or is clearly medicating, this scene would be accepted, but if the mother is simply recreating, it would have to be a movie about an unfit mother, a drug addict or an example of bad parenting behavior.

“I think that our community is going to be stuck with the current stigma for a while longer.”

Not only is this outlook outdated and wrong, it’s out of step with how much of America is starting to live. With more and more states legalizing every election year, and lots of cities decriminalizing, it doesn’t make sense to have such a stigma against parents, in particular mothers, using cannabis to relax. After all, over 50 percent of people now support cannabis legalization, according to a recent Pew Research poll, so a great number of those supporters are mothers and fathers.

“I think that our community is going to be stuck with the current stigma for a while longer,” explained Jena, mother of one biological child and two stepchildren, from Denver. “I think that in order for it to disappear completely, the laws and regulations will need to change at a national level. Right now people associate Colorado with cannabis use. The truth is that most of the people who are using cannabis now are the same people who were using it before it was legal. I still get a variety of responses from people when I tell them that I use cannabis. A lot of people are surprised, and I don’t know why that is. I think the only thing we can do is to be responsible about how we use cannabis. This is important, because I’ve heard a lot of stories about parents misusing cannabis. Don’t smoke while you’re pregnant or nursing. Don’t smoke around your child. Don’t smoke and drive. Don’t get stoned at work. It’s simple.”

“I have a locking box where the majority of items are kept, in my bedroom high enough only an adult could reach, even with a chair or other item,” added Diane Evans of Fremont County Cannabis in Colorado, mother of two, when asked about how she makes sure that her cannabis never comes in contact with her children “I also have a dorm refrigerator in our bedroom that has child-proof mechanisms on it. In addition, my children are also being taught about some of these items, why some people need them, why Mommy and Daddy need them. They have been taught these items are a form medicine and they know not to eat anything without showing us first. I really feel like educating our children is the best way to keep them safe. We don’t smoke cannabis in front of our children, ever. We pop out to the garage or wait until they are sleeping and partake in our bedroom with our door locked, just in case. We have an outside door, as well, in our bedroom which we open to vent smoke out. Mostly during the daytime, we use other discreet forms, such as an edible, tincture or patch. Rather than lie to our children, we want to be honest with them.”

“Mothers care about their children, and will go to great lengths to keep them away from cannabis at a young age, while also educating them about cannabis in a way that is fair and unbiased.”

“I have had a few talks with my stepchildren about marijuana,” explained Jena when asked if she has spoken with her children about cannabis. “My husband and I took them to a concert at Red Rocks a few years ago, and my stepson was visibly bothered by people who were smoking a joint a few rows in front of us. We explained to the kids that what those people were doing was no different than the people beside us who were drinking beers. We emphasized that it was legal, and that if treated responsibly that it was not hurting anybody. I think that it was just so surprising to my stepson, who was 11 at the time, because it’s made out to be something that is dangerous.  In my experience, drinking alcohol proved more dangerous than using cannabis. Alcohol is just more socially accepted.”

“About a year ago, I did tell my stepchildren that I smoked marijuana on occasion,” she added. “Before that talk, I had been doing it in secret. I was sneaking out onto our patio, or using a vape pen in my bathroom. My husband was the one who encouraged me to ‘come clean’ about it. He said that it was important for us as parents to be honest with our children and to set an example of how to live a responsible life as an adult. I told them that I smoked marijuana, and that just like using alcohol, there are responsible ways to use it and irresponsible ways to use it. Just like alcohol, it is not acceptable or safe to use it when I have to drive. I also don’t use it when I’m at work. I think that comparing it to alcohol helped them realize that it isn’t a scary, dangerous drug.”

While the way each mother deals with her cannabis use can differ, one overall theme is clear. Mothers care about their children, and will go to great lengths to keep them away from cannabis at a young age, while also educating them about cannabis in a way that is fair and unbiased. While the acceptance of mothers who use cannabis recreationally, or regularly to treat chronic conditions, won’t happen overnight, the bravery of these moms and the constantly shifting climate will definitely help things along.