Cannabis-friendly Parenting: Are '420 Moms' the New 'Wine Moms?'
Imagine if a mom posted a photo on Instagram of her smoking a joint with her son across the living room playing with his toys? She can surely expect her inbox to be jammed with hate mail. However, no one will care if she drinks red wine during the day. After all, “wine is good for the heart.”
For years, society has normalized the mommy wine culture. Many women begin their evening with a glass of Cabernet at around dinnertime. And kill the rest of the bottle once the kids are in bed. Mommy deserves that wine and the opportunity to relax after a day spent balancing between career and family life.
However, a new wave has outdone the wine mom culture. It's called the “420 moms culture.” According to statistics, Americans bought $18 billion worth of cannabis in 2020 alone. This marks a 71 percent jump from 2019.
Why Is Mommy Abandoning Wine and Shifting to Cannabis?
Legalization of Cannabis
As of May 2021, 18 states had ratified legislation to allow for recreational use of marijuana for adults above 21 years in the U.S. Further, 36 states allowed for medical use only, based on statistics from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Many states continue to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use. And as a result, the weed industry is on course to increase its worth to more than $70 billion by 2028. In effect, many parents are turning to cannabis to cope with parenting difficulties and everyday life.
Legalization has helped with the reduction of stigma, allowing cannabis-using mommies to step out of the shadows. Communities are slowly adopting a relaxed view of “420 moms” who smoke, eat edibles, or use CBD skin care products for their beauty rituals.
Save Themselves the Hangover
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends two drinks per day for male adults to achieve moderate alcohol use and one drink each day for women. However, more and more moms end up fighting addiction problems. After a night spent drinking several margaritas, you wake up the next day with a nasty hangover. And your swollen, red face pressed against the toilet seat, throwing up.
Many wine-loving mommies have owned up to their difficulties with alcohol dependence. They openly discuss on Facebook groups and TV shows how they’ve hit rock bottom and are struggling to stay away from alcohol.
So how does the booze-loving mom escape from this dangerous cycle? Because recreational cannabis is lawful, mommy can use it as an alternative to alcohol.
As a mom of a one-year-old kid, you go through a lot of mood swings and anxiety. You don't want to turn to that Cabernet bottle or load yourself up with prescription medications. So, when mommy feels an increase in heartbeat and anxiety, a small dose of THC is enough to stabilize her breathing and restore her steady state. Fast, easy, and effective.
Online Support Communities
Medicinal weed users were often labeled negligent and erratic “potheads” by their colleagues, employers, and friends. For years, these stereotypes led to discrimination and segregation.
While moms have been puffing that joint long before the passage of legal regulations, they were not posting on their social media pages or opening Facebook weed user’s groups.
Today, weed-using moms are coming out from the shadows and openly testifying about the benefits of cannabis. For “420 moms” who don't have a cannabis community around them, social media continues to be a source of great support.
Mom influencers are on Instagram posting about the virtues of weed. On Facebook, there's a group of marijuana-using moms called “The Cannavist Mom,” with more than 35,000 members. Its catchy tagline asserts that “420 moms” should be socially accepted just like their wine-loving counterparts. Another famous Facebook group is Moms for Marijuana International, with over 500,000 followers.
Is Consuming Cannabis Safe As a Parent?
One of the most challenging parts of being a cannabis mommy is predictive dosing. While most moms know how they'll react to a glass of wine, it takes time and practice to master the amount of THC their body can accommodate while still being a functioning adult.
A mom might buy a brownie, and instead of eating a tenth of it as the typical dose, she takes several bites, which are four or five times the regular serving. She might end up extremely stoned and sick.
But it's not only their consumption of edibles that they need to watch. Children might be attracted to the beautiful packaging of the edibles and consume them thinking it's the regular cookies. This can lead to dangerous overdoses.
Tips for Consuming Cannabis at Home
While “420 moms” need to unwind from the stress that comes with raising tiny humans, it's important to do it safely and responsibly. Here are some tips that can help mommy consume cannabis safely at home:
Time It Right: Mommy should hold off on smoking until the kids are asleep. Weed is supposed to be a private time, and lighting up in front of the kids wouldn't instill confidence in them that you're doing an excellent job as a parent.
Talk About It With the Kids When They're Ready: Having an open conversation about cannabis helps them understand why you do it. Anytime you arm your kid with true and accurate information, it gives them the power and knowledge to make good decisions for themselves.
Secure Your Stash: It's pretty simple. If you don't want your kid to get to it, lock it up and explain why they can't touch it.
Bottom Line
Many “420 moms” say that consuming cannabis doesn't in any way impact their parenting abilities. They can still hold down their jobs, tend to their families, and pay the bills. The most important thing is having self-control and smoking safely.
Whether you want to use pot medically or recreationally, you need to know the risks and benefits. Consultations with your physician or therapist will help you know the right dosage and what effect a particular strain of pot will have on your body.