Parenting and pot: a bad idea?
While many people would call you a bad parent for smoking weed, others now argue that smoking might actually make people better parents.
Modern parents have a lot of stress to deal with these days. The increased cost of living, coupled with the amount of attention kids require daily, leaves many (if not all) parents looking for a way to unwind at the end of the day.
Some parents choose to have a drink, others might take a Xanax or another prescription drug, but more parents nowadays find their peace with just weed.
According to a recent study by a medical cannabis online delivery service, one in five customers are parents, and over 63% of these parents smoke every single day.[1]
Unfortunately, parents that smoke weed are often judged more harshly than others. It’s quite strange really; alcohol and pills can be much more inebriating and are definitely much more lethal, but somehow cannabis always seems to get the bad rap.
While many people would call you a bad parent for smoking weed, others now argue that smoking might actually make people better parents.
LESS ANXIOUS, MORE RELAXED, YET STILL ABLE TO FUNCTION
Smoking weed has long been used to help people relax and deal with anxiety, so logically, it should help stressed-out parents who are constantly on a tight schedule and have very little time for themselves. It’s difficult to properly care for a family when you yourself aren’t well taken care of.
Being overly stressed can cause people to be short-tempered and make rash decisions, neither of which are conducive to good parenting. It can also lead to substance abuse (alcohol, hard drugs, etc.), although that’s much less likely for people who smoke weed.
In short, cannabis breeds patience and you’ll be at less risk of losing your cool.
As a parent, your day revolves around your child’s schedule. The day starts as soon as your little munchkins open their eyes in the morning. And once they’re asleep, that’s when the house gets cleaned, laundry gets done, and dishes are put away. A schedule like that can really wear you out after a few weeks, and you’ll definitely need some nice, long sleep.
According to medical marijuana physician Dr. Matt Roman, “marijuana is an effective sleep aid because it restores a person’s natural sleep cycle, which so often falls out of sync with our schedules in today’s modern lifestyle.”[2]
So basically, smoking weed before bed is one of the best things you could do for yourself, considering how hectic life can be these days.
LOOSEN UP!
Pot is generally a lighthearted substance. It can make you laugh, joke, play games, and often times, it can make you see things through more youthful goggles. Weed can make people a bit more silly and creative, which can make it easier to really let go and goof around with your kids.
It might even help you to come up with crazy and hilarious stories to tell your kids, run around the house playing cops and robbers, or go head-to-head playing video games.
Weed might help you to see the wonder and joy in things you commonly overlook as an adult. In other words, it might make it possible to look at life through the eyes of a child, which is very refreshing from time to time.
POT-SMOKING PARENTS SHOULDN'T FEEL BAD
It’s about time to stop making weed loving parents feel bad about their habit. It’s pretty common knowledge these days that weed is safer than alcohol and pills anyway, although these are still more socially acceptable.
Being a good parent is something that comes from each individual person. If you're a terrible mom or dad, smoking weed isn't going to change that. But if you're a great parent, smoking some weed every now and then doesn't make you inferior in any way, shape, or form.
As long as parents smoke responsibly and don’t let it get in the way of household expectations or child safety, there’s no reason moms and dads shouldn’t be able to enjoy cannabis from time to time, just like other parents are free to enjoy a glass of wine without being stigmatized.