FAQ: Are you open about cannabis with your kids and mom friends?

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This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from women and that’s if I’m open with my cannabis use in front of my children and other moms, family, my husband and so on.

Yep, I’m open about my cannabis use.

This question always makes me laugh, as I have this entire website called Weed Mama where I talk about my cannabis use, and my name is in the media with me openly using cannabis so, yes, I’m wide open. However before I decided to stand on the rooftops and shout out all of the wonderful things this botanical can do, I wasn’t so open.

Pre-legalization- a mom with her vape on her own

I didn’t feel comfortable talking about cannabis before legalization, I simply didn’t know anyone that used cannabis besides me and my husband. My mom friends would brag about how their babies first word was wine but me, I just smiled and stayed quiet. I didn’t want the judgement, or for it to affect my daughter’s friendships. By contrast, the dads at the playground were very open about their cannabis use. They usually said their wives drank wine and didn’t like cannabis and I knew why, they’d tried it before, felt paranoid and swore off cannabis forever. This is a story I’ve heard so many times, I’ve written a lot on this subject alone.

The other reason was many moms felt the need to be responsible and not use something illegal. However once legalization came I was open about it, in a big way! I started this website and was on the news. It’s kind of hard to stay quiet about your cannabis use when you literally shout it to the world.

I don’t hide my glass of wine, nor do I hide cannabis from my kids

My kids love to help me trim the cannabis plants

Talking to your kids about cannabis may seem intimidating as you may not know what to say, it also depends on how old your kids are. Should you openly use cannabis in front of your kids? My question for you is, are you open about drinking alcohol in front of your kids, if so, why? My kids know it’s something adults do, like drinking coffee and alcohol. I wouldn’t hide a glass of wine from them so I’m not going to hide cannabis. That’s me, some parents think it’s wrong to drink in front of kids too, it’s a personal choice.

I’m careful about vaporizing, when I do I go outside or leave the room. I also don’t get high in front of them, I wouldn’t get drunk either. They simply see a mother that’s in a better mood, less bothered (especially during a pandemic). Mostly I use cannabis in the evening however sometimes I’ll microdose during the day when I’m feeling too tense.

Should you be open about your cannabis use?

That’s really up to you and your situation. You know your family dynamic, the attitude of the city/neighborhood you live in and if it’s legal where you live. If you have an intolerant family, live in an intolerant town and it’s illegal, you might want to keep it to yourself. I’m fortunate enough to live in Vancouver B.C where cannabis is legal and accepted, the neighborhood I live in has several cannabis stores, soon I’ll have five cannabis stores within walking distance. However some cities near Vancouver B.C have not allowed the sale of cannabis, currently you can’t buy cannabis in Surrey, Richmond or Delta. If you live in those cities, you may face more judgement than if you live in Vancouver.

How do I talk about cannabis to other moms at the playground?

This is another thing women ask me when they’re really looking for advice on how to talk to people about it themselves. I wrote an article on how to come out to your mom friends because many women still feel uncomfortable talking openly about using cannabis.

If it comes up in conversation I’ll mention I have a website called Weed Mama that teaches people how to use cannabis properly and show them there’s an entire part of the market with products made for women. I usually get a series of questions however sometimes they’ll respond with something like “oh ok, neat” that’s when I know the person I’m speaking to doesn’t approve.

The thing is, I’m not looking for anyone’s approval and neither should you. You don’t need anyone’s approval to use cannabis, you enjoy it for your own reasons. It’s safer than alcohol and is even prescribed as a medicine. Where I live you can literally pick up your cannabis prescription from Shopper’s Drug Mart, if someone chooses to judge your for that, so be it. I know so many moms who wash down their prescription drugs with a few glasses of wine, I’m here to say there’s something better. I’m genuine in wanting to show women, especially moms, that there’s something that’s less harmful that will help them feel relaxed. That reason alone makes it easy for me to be open about it.

Good news, attitudes are shifting

Just in the past two years since starting Weed Mama and legalization in Canada, I’ve seen a huge change in attitudes around cannabis. Women I know who were wary about cannabis and worried it would trigger their anxiety are now using cannabis more often instead of wine to unwind. So if you’re wondering if you should be open about your cannabis use and you live in Canada where it’s legal, I say yes.

All it takes is for that one mom at the school that all the others look up to in admiration, you know the one; she’s always put together, looks amazing, volunteers for all of the PAC events, probably gets up at the crack of dawn to run 10km before taking her kids to school and going to work. If that mom is openly using cannabis, the rest will too. It doesn’t matter if you’re not that mom, you still have influence, every single woman that is open about using cannabis will mean less anxiety around using a plant that’s relatively safe, helpful and let’s be honest, fun.

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