"Marijuana Moms" Are Pot-Smoking and Proud

Meet the Real "Stoned" Housewives of Beverly Hills. A group of moms in California, where medical pot is legal with a prescription, have declared that marijuana makes them better parents and partners. The self-described "Marijuana Moms" take pot as prescribed for aches and pains, but also to help them cope with the pressures of marriage and motherhood. Once a month, they gather at the home of Cheryl Shuman for a dinner party, in which they indulge in pot-infused delicacies like cannabis leaf salad and marijuana milkshakes, and sample various strains of the plant. They've been met with some judgment in the community, but say they're working to salvage pot's reputation and showcase its benefits. "We've all come up against people who say marijuana is for dirty druggies, but we are proof you can be good parents and productive members of society and use it," says Shuman, 53, and a mother of two, who claims pot eases her stress and helps her to stay calm and rational at home. Simmi Dhillon, 40, credits the drug with helping her overcome dependence on painkillers prescribed for an injury, so she could become the "wife I always wanted to be" to her husband, who happens to be a cop. And January Thomas, 37, who takes pot to treat early onset arthritis, says weed makes her "a better and more creative parent" to her two-year-old daughter, Zeena: "It puts me in the moment with Zeena and stops me worrying about everyday problems." Watch the Marijuana Moms in action: