What makes a good parent?

My relationship with cannabis has been a long one. We’ve been on again off again for nearly 25 years. It’s gotten me in trouble but also has done wonders for me. I’m sure there are many of you who can relate.

Right now, I’d like to bring up the relationship between parents and cannabis and the stigma that surrounds it. Parents all over the world use cannabis for a whole host of reasons, such as anxiety, insomnia, appetite control and so many more. Yet, they are viewed by many as “bad parents”. Let’s explore that.

What makes a GOOD parent, from an objective point of view? I think we can all agree that the basic building blocks of a childs’ needs are food, water, shelter and love. Further, we can add understanding, attentiveness, education, enrichment and preparation for life as adult. That’s the basics, right?

In a lot of cases, parents aren’t negatively affected by cannabis use. It makes them BETTER parents, in point of fact, which makes sense when we break it down. If a parent cannot eat, they cannot care for a child. If smoking a bowl helps a parent eat a pb&j, I can’t really understand what the problem is. If a parent is so anxious about everything, how can they parent effectively? If eating a couple of THC laced gummies helps manage that, I’m not sure what the problem is. If a parent cannot sleep, they cannot care for a child. If rolling a blunt at the end of the day is what it takes to fall asleep, who’s it hurting?

In addition to all that, most people think that weed is weed. They’re not aware that there are different strains with different effects or that Indica and Sativa are even a thing let alone the difference between them. They just assume that anyone using cannabis in any capacity is a jobless mooch, lazy and incapable. If they only knew what weed costs, am I right?

What can we do about this? If you live in an illegal state, what you can do is educate as many people in your life as possible about the benefits of cannabis use. Write to your state and local representatives. Talk to your fellow PTA members about it, for cryin’ out loud. Educate any and all that you can. The more people bring it up, the more people talk about it.

If you live in a legal state, be honest with doctors, friends and families about your cannabis use and the reasons for it. My own father was disturbed when he initially found out about my cannabis use, but just by talking to him about his concerns, he now supports me 100%. Education really is the door to change. The more people we educate, the more likely change becomes.

Together, we can do it.