Canadian Mother Defends Cannabis Use
Why This Mom Says Weed Helps Ease The Stress of Parenthood
Any parent will tell you that parenting is one of the most stressful jobs in the world. But moms and dads can’t simply smoke weed to relieve the pressure of raising children, right?
Wrong, according to one Canadian mom.
Caitlin Fladager, 26, is a Vancouver-based blogger and influencer, sharing her thoughts on topics like marijuana, motherhood, and mental health to more than 500,000 followers on Facebook.
In a Facebook post that has nabbed over 11,000 reactions, Fladager explained why being a mother and a cannabis user should not be mutually exclusive.
“Yes, I’m a mom of two. Yes, I have smoked before when my kids are awake. No, that doesn’t make me a bad parent,” she began.
The post is attached to a photograph of Fladager wearing a black shirt imprinted with the phrase, “First I smoke weed, then I do things.” The quote is a testament to her belief that her smoking habit has no bearing on her ability to be productive as a parent. But others, she explained, do not agree. The shirt was the subject of a clash on an outing:
“My sweater was definitely the one of the most looked at things, probably because I had my two young kids with me,” she wrote. “I had one cashier say to me, ‘do you think it’s safe to get high with your kids?’”
Fladager goes on to describe the ways that weed has helped her be a better mother, as opposed to the stereotypes come with smoking: laziness and detachment. She says that weed has made her calmer and more patient, and has helped her get back the sleep that having a child makes you lose.
Fladager also brought up a clever point about double standards. In her post, she writes that the “wine mom” has become a popular figurehead in the parenting world, spawning merchandise that is seen as quirky and relatable. Fladager herself even has a wine mom shirt, and it garners a different reaction from her weed shirt.
“When I wear the wine mom tank top out, I get high fives from other moms, I get laughs, I get told, ‘awesome shirt, relatable’. But when I wear this one, it’s a whole different story.”
This seemed to be the point that most resonated with commenters on Facebook.
“It’s insane how many moms you see post photos of their kids playing and they have a wine or drink in their hand,” one commenter wrote. “If we took a photo like that where we had a joint and they were playing in the yard we’d have them calling child services on us.”
Fladager isn’t the only mom creating buzz with her love for marijuana. Bloggers have expressed their experiences with weed and parenting in publications like Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy, and Savvy Mom.
As more moms come forward with their herb habits, it might be time to throw out the ‘soccer mom’ label and approach the dawn of the Marijuana Mom.
