It was not long ago that if a parent admitted they were fans of smoking pot, it could draw concern from friends and family members. Fast-forward to 2021 and many countries across the world have decriminalized cannabis.
However, some of the social stigmas around the use of cannabis still remain, especially when it comes to parents. So one mom has decided to use her social media to break down the stereotypes.
“Weed Should Be Just As Acceptable As A Glass Of Wine”
Caitlin Fladager is a 26-year-old influencer mom from Canada who has gained massive popularity online by sharing the non-traditional parenting techniques that work for her family. She reveals that she smokes weed to help her combat some of the anxieties and challenges in her life.
It’s no secret that parents across the country count down the minutes until they can tuck their kiddies into bed and pop the cork on a bottle of wine. Caitlin wants people to view smoking weed as the same thing, and to understand that it does not make you a bad parent.
But Where Did The “Devil’s Lettuce” Come From?
The demonization of cannabis had partly to do with a large nationwide media campaign against the drug which began in the 1940s, with the government classifying it as a Schedule 1 substance alongside narcotics such as heroin and LSD.
This means that it was regarded as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Legalization Did Not Eliminate Social Stigmas
As the decades have passed, policies have loosened their grip on cannabis consumption. But, even though the drug has passed legalization in many places, the historical misconceptions and social stigmas of recreational cannabis use still remain in today’s society.
Especially when a parent admits to using the drug.
“Weed Makes Me A Better Mom”
In this honest Instagram post, Caitlin uses the caption to explain that when people ask her how she is so patient and kind with her children, her answer is cannabis.
She has also said in another post, “I have never been the most patient with my two kids. Weed makes me a better mom, as I get a good night’s sleep after I smoke. I wake up well-rested, and with a more clear mind.”
Smoking Weed Helps Manage Her Anxiety Disorder
Caitlin is very open with her followers about the benefits she’s experienced from recreationally smoking weed, including helping with panic attacks, appetite, and insomnia. She has suggested it to other parents who may be similarly struggling.
Some people are open to the idea, while others choose to leave judgemental criticisms on her page. After recognizing how many people still held such negative feelings toward the drug, Caitlin decided to use her TikTok and Instagram pages to break down some of the myths and stereotypes.
Cannabis Is Still Frowned Upon In Public Spaces
In one of her Instagram captions, Caitlin points out the double standard that cannabis faces next to alcohol. “It’s so funny to me how frowned upon marijuana is. No one looks twice when a mom says she enjoys ‘mom juice’ aka wine after her kids are in bed. But when a mom says she smokes weed, it’s a huge shock.”
Caitlin says that she always receives weird looks when she wears this shirt in public, but if she wears her “mom loves wine” shirt she gets high fives. Meanwhile, she acknowledges that smoking weed instead of drinking alcohol has had a massive impact on her mental health, which in turn helps to improve her family’s lives.
She Teaches Her Children How To Spot Edibles
Caitlin is very open with her children about the use of cannabis products in her house to ensure their safety. In this clip from her TikTok page, she asks her kids, “What are these?” to which they respond, “Yummy edibles for you!”
They continue to say they know it’s “mommy’s medicine” and that it will make them sick if they eat them. She also teaches them where to look for a THC+ sign, usually represented by a cannabis leaf somewhere on the packaging which means it is not safe for them to consume.
People Always Assume You’re Smoking Enough To Get High
One of the most common misconceptions that Caitlin runs into when she tells people she smokes weed is that they automatically assume she is smoking enough to get consistently high. That leads people to question whether she has the ability to be a good parent and take care of her children.
In reality, she prefers to smoke only after they have gone to bed. But sometimes if her anxiety is overwhelming in the day, on rare occasions, she has smoked while her children were awake. Surprise, nothing bad happened!
The Family Views It As “Mom’s Medicine”
Caitlin doesn’t usually smoke when her children are awake, but curious commenters asked her to address what happens when she does.
She explained, “When I smoke while my kids are up, which is rare, but it has happened, it is to calm myself. Not to get high, or to lay on the couch all day. It has helped me immensely with being a more patient mother, it has helped me gain the weight I needed to, and it has helped my insomniac self get some well-needed sleep at night.”
The Stigma Is Slowly Being Dismantled
Badass supermoms around the world are celebrating Caitlin’s message and joining in to share their own experiences with cannabis use and how it has affected their parenting styles.
As research into the benefits and potential uses of cannabis expands, people are becoming more aware of the science behind the plant versus the politics. It will be interesting to see how the future generation of parents approach the topic of weed with their children.
This article was originally published on Dad Patrol.