Being a parent is reported to be tough. That is an understatement, but as a person with no children, I give my utmost respect and sympathies to those who choose to raise kids. I have seen friends develop grey hairs quite prematurely, a circumstance that I attribute to the kids. Hats off and glasses raised.
Mothers, in particular, deserve our utmost thanks. After all, it was just Mother’s Day, and they are the ones who carry the youngins for nine months and then go through the shudder-inducing ‘beauty’ that is passing a tiny human through a hole the size of a grape. Moms are there with us for every fever, scraped knee, golden star sticker, accident in pants, and spilled cereal. And that’s not even including what they did for us when we were children.
With Mother’s Day celebrations coming to an end, we thought that we would look at the benefits that some moms find with cannabis use. Of course, we do not in any way shape or form condone smoking marijuana while pregnant or in any situation where it would be irresponsible as a parent (even if smoking while pregnant doesn’t seem to do any harm). However, there are times when cannabis is used in a positive and useful way to combat some of the stressors of motherhood.
Better a Canna-Mom Than A Wine Mom
I spoke with one married mother of two young kids. She said that she prefers to enjoy marijuana during what she calls the “witching hour”, the time around midnight when the kids are asleep but at risk of waking up suddenly and crying for consolation. Her kids are also known to be hyperactive come bedtime. This can surely frazzle even the most dedicated, calmest of parents.
“I use [cannabis] during what’s famously known as the ‘witching hour’ so I can tolerate that crazy hectic time.” She furthers that it helps her to “calmly focus on being pleasant and present”. The smoking or edible consumption is never enough to inebriate her nor put her judgement on the fritz. She also related it to having a glass of wine at the end of the day. Some mothers choose that. Others choose SSRIs, benzodiazepines, or other pills. She chooses all-natural cannabis.
The argument for less alcohol use for parents is probably a good one to make, but we’re not going to go down that route. But for now, the takeaway here is thus: responsibly indulging in cannabis as a form of stress relief and clarity is surely no worse than other forms of chemical relaxation. Cannabis has been shown to relieve stress. For some, it induces a state of intense focus. Even further, CBD rich strands and oils may have even more of a stress relieving benefit than their THC heavy counterparts. Choosing that route over alcohol, for those who wish, seems a fine choice.
To someone who is accustomed to indulging cannabis, unlike alcohol, does not leave one in a state of poor judgement, heightened anger responses, or worse. Alcohol doesn’t have the greatest track record as far as mood-altering chemicals go. Marijuana is much lighter, much better tolerated, and much less likely to cause a blackout or a fight. Of course, as with anything else in this or our other articles, do your own research. Trust no one single source. Or, like The X-Files would say, “trust no one.”
This article, from Babble, goes into a few more cases of mothers using cannabis. One, in particular, Kristina Hammer of The Aggravated Mom blog, used cannabis to combat severe morning sickness when the pills just weren’t doing it. The relief from nausea that marijuana provides is just one way in which a mother reaps the rewards without the side effects.
Any mother considering adding marijuana to their relaxation regiment should do their research. Ask other mothers. Talk to your friends, your family (if they indulge), and make a sound decision. Only you know what is best for you.
A Big Thanks
We at Veriheal would like to give one more big ‘thank you’ to the mothers out there. You all do so much and more, and without you, none of us would be here. If you are reading this, call your mom and tell her how much you love her. You should be doing that regularly anyway.
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