How to tell your kids you use marijuana

Whether it’s for medical or recreational use, marijuana still has a stigma attached to it that can brand one a “drug user” or “pot-head”. Describing the benefits of medical marijuana to kids is easy enough, since there is enough evidence of it’s benefits to convince them and others of its usefulness. Besides, it’s legal in many states and countries around the world are decriminalizing it. However, if you are smoking it for recreational reasons, how do you break this news to your kids?

It may well take decades for people to accept marijuana as a rather harmless substance, despite it’s wider acceptance these days. So when breaking the news to your children, there are some things to remember, based on what some marijuana smoking parents have concluded is a good approach.

Don’t come across as very liberal when it comes to weed. Kids need to understand that their brains are still developing until they are in their twenties, and therefore they should not experiment with marijuana until they are adults and able to make their own decisions. Obviously, don’t smoke weed with your kids, as some parents have been known to do, at least until they are adults.

One parent advises “Don’t leave baggies and pipes laying about. Head shops sell lots of nifty safes you can use to store your stash. Invest in one of them. You don’t want your kids to get into your ganja.”

Understand the laws regarding weed in your state, or country. Realize what the penalties are (if any) and abide by them to stay out of trouble, and to set a good example for your kids. In states where recreational marijuana use is legal, many pot-smoking do not hide their grinders or their pipes, any more than drinking families hide their whiskey or wine bottles.

Be honest with your kids if they ask you, and discuss the subject with them. For example, you might tell your children that some adults drink alcohol and some consume cannabis and some do neither or both. Explain that for thousands of years cannabis has been used as a medicine, without a single overdose. Marijuana is a safe and helpful plant, appropriate for adult consumption, sometimes as an alternative to alcohol or pharmaceutical drugs, despite its status as a dangerous drug.

Don’t overdo it. Don’t allow marijuana use to dominate your life to the point where you are neglecting your responsibilities. Do not allow it to come in the way of your work or family time. If you are looking for employment, put that first and show your kids that you are productive and responsible. Never drive when you are stoned. If you are smoking too much, you might want to consider backing off.  With alcohol, for example, it is good to let your minor children see that you drink in moderation and that drinks are not used as a crutch.

You might say that for thousands of years cannabis has been used as a medicine and to get people high, without a single overdose. This is a safe and helpful plant, appropriate for adult consumption, sometimes as an alternative to alcohol or pharmaceutical drugs.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/catherine-hiller/coming-out-to-your-kids-a_b_9788226.html

http://offbeathome.com/pot-smoking-parents/