Canna-Mom Come Out?
It wasn’t until I became a canna-mom and an advocate that I realized how hard it is for mothers to come out of the canna-closet. Since starting this journey, I have spoken with many women who have expressed they would like to stop hiding and be more open about their cannabis use but aren’t sure how or where to start. Let me give you some tips, to begin with. Think about why you use cannabis and what it does for you. Educate yourself so you can be ready for open conversations and most importantly find support in like-minded women. You will find a new sense of confidence giving you the freedom of being a canna-mom.
Put some thought into why you choose cannabis and how it makes you feel. The majority of women I have spoken to say they consume to alleviate side effects of their mental health, for example, anxiety, insomnia and loss of appetite because it’s better than taking pills with horrible side effects. Some moms live with chronic pain and the only way they can be there for their family is to medicate with cannabis, other parents might prefer to indulge in cannabis as opposed to alcohol on the weekends because, let’s be real, when you’re a parent there is no time for hangovers. Whether your reasons are medicinal or recreational, both are acceptable. It is important to know why you’re pro-cannabis so when your peers bring it up, you aren’t caught wondering to yourself and these open conversations won’t be so awkward.
Knowledge is power! Get to know what the flower is composed of, its benefits and all that can be produced from it. There are more than 120 cannabinoids in this plant but you can start with CBD and THC. CBD is commonly used for nausea, migraines, seizures and anxiety and THC provides that psychoactive effect. Methods of consumption are important to know too; if you smoke, effects happen within minutes but if you consume orally, a pill, a tincture or an edible, it could take up to hours for it to kick in but the effects will last longer. You don’t have to be a smoker to support cannabis, you could be treating your eczema with lotions or joint inflammation with tinctures or simply just enjoy cooking and making drinks. The more canna-moms you meet, the more you learn and realize everyone has different recipes and ways to incorporate cannabis into their day to day life.
A post shared by 𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐚 𝐖𝐚𝐱𝐱 (@medicatedd.mamaa) on Mar 5, 2020 at 11:17am PST
A post shared by Blunt Blowin’ Mama (@bluntblowinmama) on Mar 3, 2020 at 9:02am PST
Canna-moms are no different than the mothers you see at the grocery store, the playground or at Target, so it might be a little difficult to pinpoint which moms enjoy blunts and dabs. A good place to start is social media. Look up hashtags like #cannamoms, #cannamomma and #cbdmom, etc. Browse through different profiles and start following other moms with profiles that pique your interest. A few of my favorite down to earth moms to follow are @TheMommyJane, @BluntBlowinMama, and @Medicatedd.Mamaa. Check them out and see how they incorporate cannabis into their everyday life. @CannaMomGang is a whole community of women connecting you with moms alike. My favorite group is on Facebook called Mothers Mary Community, their mission is to empower moms to live and use cannabis guilt-free. I know, I roll my eyes whenever I hear of a Facebook mom group, but trust me on this one, it’s a safe space for all moms. There is absolutely no judgment or hate and they provide a program called “Guilt-Free Momber Challenge.” They provide you with information on must-know topics, tips on how to change your vocabulary around the plant, supporting documents that comprise links to studies and 5 videos that each support a new topic. The mission when done with the program is to leave you feeling empowered, educated and confident.
Knowing that you aren’t the only one and being supported by women with the same struggles gives you a whole other sense of self-worth. When you are aware of your reasons, educated on what you’re doing and have a canna-tribe that has your back you will find the confidence in yourself to be more open. You will care less of what others think and find yourself educating anyone interested. Who knows you might even help another mom find her confidence to step out of the canna-closet? From one canna-mom to another welcome to the movement of ending the stigma.
Sabrina Rebolledo is a mother and cannabis advocate. She currently focuses on the stigma surrounding mothers that consume cannabis. Sabrina wants to make all mothers feel welcome to make their own decisions and to ignore the social pressures that make a mother feel insecure. Foller her @WHOLETMEBEAMOM on Instagram.
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