A little over a year ago, the woman's magazine, Marie Claire, had a feature article entitled,
Stiletto Stoner. The article focused on corporate woman, with their lives seemingly in perfect order, going home every night and sparking up a joint.
Among the women interviewed, was a woman in her thirties, who pointed out that after an exhausting day of running a household with a husband and child, as well as a full-time corporate job, she needed a way to unwind. Especially since she wasn't a fan of alcohol.
So what's the big deal with moms who smoke pot, really? I in no way condone a mother smoking around her child or in the middle of the day, but we all need a way to unwind.
Being a modern mom requires having a lot on our plates and that holistic yoga business isn't for everyone. Not to mention, that marijuana is better for both brain and body than either alcohol or cigarettes; both of which are legal.
Are you or do you know a stoner mom? Do you think they should be judged any differently?
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Comments (108)
if it were legal i wouldn't have a problem with it if the kids were gone for the night. i think a parent should remain sober if the kids are home. but that's my view.
I'm 100% against recreational drugs and I just don't see the need for someone to smoke them, especially moms. Yes moms need to relax and unwind, but there are many other ways of doing it like taking a bubble bath or going for a walk :) That's just my opinion though.
@CecilliaMarie@xanga - I agree completely.
And in addition, even though alcohol & cigarettes are legal doesn't mean they're right to use to "unwind." If you can't find another way to do it, then you need to get help & rewire your brain and body to learn to do it in healthier ways.
My mom was a stoner mom. I think it creates anxiety in some children to see your parents doing something illegal. They always waited till we went to bed, yet we knew our parents did it. I think the real problem is that men need to really step up in the family. A woman shouldn't need to unwind like that if she had proper help... working, being a mom and a wife... yet I bet her husband is just a man.
as a stoner, i see nothing wrong, as long as the kids aren't around so you can still take of them.
but if they're out and its just you and you want to relax, then by all means, why not.I agree with the other posters. There are other ways to unwind. If you feel the need to use a mind altering substance every day, there is something wrong.
I feel like it is wrong to do because it is illegal. It can get you in trouble. it can put you in jail, and even get your kids taken away if law enforcement takes it to extreme. I wouldn't want to risk it, and it teaches your kids that you dont have to follow the law. (im only talking about the states where its illegal here.)
Where it is legal- if you have to smoke pot to unwind every night, then I agree with @Erika_Steele@xanga - there is something wrong. thats like a parent getting drunk everynight.
Great post. I absolutely agree.
Well my mom may have not done it but my Dad did and whether we were home or not he would go up to his room, lock the door, smoke a blunt and that was it. I could never really detect a huge difference in him either. He just chilled out a bit which frankly I was thankful for. Pot, depending on the situation, can be done while you have kids. It was only when both of my parents told me that sometimes when I was really young they would do coke with a family friend. But I don't remember anything weird or unsafe going on either. Then again I was always the type of kid that could keep themselves occupied just fine without getting killed. It was only until my mom started drinking in my early teens that things started to get crazy. And alcohol is legal. Go figure.
@xxxLiveLaughLove@xanga - I have to disagree, there is a HUGE difference between unwinding and getting drunk/stoned out of your mind.
I have a glass of wine almost nightly to help with my insomnia and the help me unwind. Just as some people read a book, play a game, meditate, etc. I could also get medical marijuana for the exact same use (insomnia) in my state.
I'd rather do that (med MJ) than be on something like Ambien that causes sleep walking, sleep driving, sleep cooking, sexsomnia, etc...all of which would do MUCH more harm to myself and my family. I'd also rather be on it than be on anti-psychotics which have HORRID side effects, withdrawal, and effects in general. Whats the difference between a little buzz and fucking Xanax? You think if I took Xanax and Ambein that I could care for my child if the need arose? Though I couldn't drive, I COULD care for my child if I were buzzed (MJ) or stoned.
I think what is wrong with the world is that the view that prescription drugs that cause things like suicidal thoughts or attempts, sleep driving, sleep cooking (housefire anyone?), etc are FINE, but herbal remedies with very little side effects (hunger, sleepiness, and the occasional paranoia) are a CRIME (in some places, and still generally looked down upon).
Everyone needs to UNWIND, and there is a difference between unwinding at the end of the day and having an ADDICTION (I bet there are more people addicted to Codeine and Xanax than Heroin....). And Marijuana is ONLY mentally addictive not physically...so its no different than being addicted to video games or gambling....
You are one hundred percent correct! Especially that there is a huge difference between smoking to unwind and smoking to get f*cked up. @RainDropPixie@xanga -
I used to be one of those who thought there was nothing wrong with a little pot to help a new mom "unwind".. then I became a foster mum and saw first hand the damaging effects of drugs and alcohol on babies.
Now, I am 100 % against it.
I have never smoked pot, but I have a friend with kids who does. She smokes maybe once every other weekend, when her kids are with a sitter - and not to the point of getting "f*cked up", just to relax. She says it helps her unwind, and makes her less cranky and more tolerable (her hubby agrees). I guess I don't really see anything wrong with that. I am completely against doing it every night, and I would never condone smoking while you're kids are around/you're the primary caregiver. But as a once-in-a-while thing? I don't see the harm, if you're responsible.
What I find hilarious is that people view pot as harmful and think that is the reason it is mostly illegal. Well news flash that is not the reason. In the 1920s and 1930s the government sought a way to decrease Mexican immigration into this country. Since pot was largely coming from Mexico with the immigrants, they made it illegal. They also felt that pot would threaten the timber industry since hemp is a much cheaper material. They received a lot of money from the timber industry for their campaigns. This information was presented on the history channel recently. It was quite an interesting documentary. As a mother who suffers from fibromyalgia, I would rather smoke a joint to relax than take a bunch of pills. In fact in several states I could be prescribed it for the immense pain I have to live with. The pills I am offered can be highly addictive. Not to mention all of the side effects. Most of them make me so drowsy or dizzy that taking care of my 2 year old is difficult. So I have to grind my teeth and deal with the immense pain all day long and wait until she goes to sleep to take my pain killers.
Hello working out?!!! That's a great way to unwind! Or a good book. A hot bubble bath.
Smoking a joint to unwind is not a bad thing. People who have never done it think its the drug that makes you not able to think straight. If you were or are an avid smoker you jsut relax and might gain a bit of an appetite. Its not like drinking whatsoever.
I have no problem with parents lighting up a joint if their children are not around. If it interfers with their ability to parent that is another topic. But most people are fine to smoke one.
Though marijuana isn't as harmful as MOST other things like alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription pills (like sleeping pills), it's illegal and that's where the danger comes from. It's not a matter of whether or not marijuana impairs your ability to be a parent - for the most part, it does not - it's about someone finding out and calling the cops on you. You don't want to take the chance of someone taking away your child because you're smoking an illegal plant (yes, not drug, but plant) in the same household as your child. They would have the right to take your child into protective custody.
If it were legal, it would be a different story. By no means should you do it indoors, though. Pot was the smell of my childhood and though I've smoked pot on many, many occasions, I resent the fact that my parents didn't hide it well enough from my brother and I as children. I feel like it was a somewhat irresponsible decision on their part because we could have ran out and said something to a friends parent that would have gotten us taken away. Then again, my parents were AWFUL parents so maybe that wouldn't have been so awful...
@Resilient_Light@xanga - Very good point. You've done your research, which is more than most people can say.
@MyTwoCentss@xanga - Totally agree.
And those who think they're keeping it secret from their children are kidding themselves. Kids have a way of figuring those things out.
I'm just going to speak for myself, here. No, I don't think it's a good idea and I wouldn't do it. I would find other ways to unwind. And that includes not drinking alcohol or smoking cigs, either.
if and when i EVER have children you bet you ass i am going to continue smoking. I'll stop while im pregnant of course, thats just common sense. :) however, as long as you arent lighting a bowl in front of your kid, i dont see the issue. I have a friend whose 25 and has the most adorkable little boy ever. He and his wife are both HUGE stoners, but little colt has never seen his mommy or daddy smoke. I also babysit my little sisters quite a bit, and in order to deal with those two (9 and 10) i end up stepping outside for at least 2 smoke breaks lol. they couldnt tell i was high, its not like im some stupid mindless druggie when im high, i just get really thirsty haha.
i condone stoner moms, and hey, if you ever have trouble stepping away for a smoke break, try making some edibles. noones gonna knock you for eating a brownie ;) sets a much better role model for the kid too, in case they ever do catch a glimpse of you lighting up.
not that i think it's a problem for children to be aware of marijuana and its countless uses, i just dont want em to smoke it/eat it till they're old enough. I didnt start using marijuana until i was 18, they can wait, haha.
I believe half of the reason smokers (of anything) find that its calming is the deep breathing that comes along with smoking. It calms almost anyone down to take a deep breath, so I don't blame em. Its their life. Its their kids. Its their choice.
I think it is a great way and all the naysayers on here just have problems with drugs in general. I know lots of kids who are completely fine with their parents doing it and it is normal and everyone is happy. People dont need to find another way to destress. If this work then it works and thats the end of story. Keep on doing what you are doing smoker moms. You are awesome! Love your kids and keep enjoying life.
I like how a lot of people here disagree with smoking marijuana as a parent because there are other ways to unwind. Since when is it your decision if someone takes a bubble bath or smokes a bowl?
Doesn't anyone else see the irony in "the worst thing about pot is that it's illegal"? More than the effects, cost, etc, people worry about "getting in trouble". A sign that maybe something shouldn't be illegal in the first place?
I don't see any problem with it. It's socially acceptable for people to drink to relax at night, but of course there are boundaries (like not getting wasted while you're in charge of children).
I vote for letting people make their own choices, just sayin'.
Speaking as somebody whose mother is an alcoholic, I wish my mom had been a stoner when I was growing up instead.