By: Andrea Meharg
There is being a mom.
And there is being a mom who uses cannabis.
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I’ve lived many days in each camp and I firmly prefer the latter. But using cannabis responsibly so that you can be a fantastic mom isn’t (always) about smoking joints on the couch. Let me walk you through a typical day.
5:30am and the alarm goes off. I creep stealthily down the stairs avoiding the creaky ones. This time is precious and the smallest sound has been known to rouse my 8 year old from a dead sleep.
I add a CBD-rich cannabis oil to my coffee, take a couple of puffs from my vape and spend a glorious hour alone, meditating and reading.
By the time my boys wake up and come barreling down for breakfast I’m feeling happy and energetic. I kiss them good morning and we start our day with a smile.
My life didn’t used to look like this. I started smoking pot two years ago because I was in such a dark place that I couldn’t get through the day without screaming irrationally at my kids or sobbing into whatever I was cooking for dinner.
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To my loving, patient husband I was often downright nasty and spending time with my kids drained me to the point that I actively avoided them. I wasn’t practicing any self-care, and as you know, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
After taking just a few puffs of that first, crappily rolled joint, I could feel the cloud being lifted and I was suddenly my happy self again for the first time in what felt like years.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that I should be using cannabis to help my depression and anxiety throughout the day as well.
People often wonder how I function if I’m using pot all day. Shouldn’t I be eating Doritos and watching Dude Where’s My Car? Early on in my mom-who-uses-pot days, I accidentally used a super potent THC oil in my coffee.
When it hit me, I was in the middle of doing food prep for the week. With three pots simmering on the stove and muffins in the oven, I slumped to the floor and called my husband to the rescue. I spent almost 24 hours incapacitated on the couch.
It was terrible. Ever since what is now known as “The Coffee Incident” I’m very careful about my dosing and stay in my Goldilocks Zone, where I’m happy and fully functioning. And I never try anything new without my husband around for backup!
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Because I work from home, while my kids are at school I can use microdoses of THC if I feel the need. My favourite strain brings out a clear, focused energy in me and I can enter a flow state that’s not possible when my monkey-mind isn’t being tamed by cannabis.
It brightens my mood and lifts me up. It also makes cleaning the house or going for a walk delightful.
The boys barrel through the door around 4:00 and we do what every family does: after-school activities, dinner, tidying up, playing, baths, stories and a couple rounds of “Just one more thing,” as the boys conjure up ways to delay bedtimes.
When I’ve stayed consistent with microdosing throughout the day, I’m not so quick to anger. I feel present and I’m able to remember what’s really important.
I find myself telling my boys how much I love them and how important they are. They get more hugs, kisses, and snuggles. I’m a more loving, patient and compassionate mom when I have some cannabis running through my veins.
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At 8:00, when the little ones are finally asleep, it’s my time with my husband. Before pot, we had drifted pretty far apart and we’d spend those precious hours doing our own thing, in separate rooms.
I’d compare myself to perfect moms on Facebook and he’d zone out into a video game. Now, we spark a joint and relax together. We have deep conversations, laugh until our stomachs hurt, or have stoned sex (which is highly recommended.) Because of cannabis, our marriage is stronger than ever.
Life on pot isn’t sunshine and lollipops, and I still occasionally snap at my kids or whip up a snide comment for my hubby.
Cannabis isn’t a miracle cure-all, but there’s no denying that I’m a happier, healthier and more engaged mom now than I was before I found this wonderful plant.
And most nights, as I drift off to sleep, I reflect on my day with my family and I can be proud to be a stoner mom.
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Andrea is the founder of Reveal Cannabis, where she offers cannabis coaching for moms. You can find out more about her services and her journey on her site.
