Anna Diaz | January 25, 2015

That is right. I said it. Pot makes me a better parent.

I smoke pot daily. Mostly because it helps me to take the edge off of an often hectic world. Call it anxiety relief if you want to. I was also a Ritalin child, so I have always had some issues focusing. Smoking some weed allows me to slow my mind and focus on things more clearly. I also have severe arthritis from traumatic injuries in my foot and knees, so cannabis helps cut the pain and my need for pain medicines. Pot even helps me to enhance activities and find more enjoyment in many things.... and all of these benefits make me a better parent.

My kids enjoy me when I am stoned. I am relaxed and calm, and more enjoyable to be around. I don't drink much because I enjoy smoking weed more, and choose it as an alternative to a drink at the end of my long days. Every parent deserves the right to make that choice, and if more parents could use cannabis legally instead of booze the world would certainly be a better place. I am not saying drinking is a bad choice, I am just noting that statistically there are a lot more societal issues related to alcohol than pot. That is just a fact. Stoned people are generally more easy going and calm, where alcohol can make some people less in control, and often even violent. Cannabis just does not have a history of those characteristics, even if abused.

I also am not advocating for parents to abuse pot, and weed is certainly not for everyone. There are people who do not respond well to it, and that is okay too. To each their own. But statistically it is a good choice for a lot of people and many good parents smoke weed regularly. They should not be ashamed of that one bit. It is unfair that cannabis has been demonized in our society, with very little evidence of it doing any harm.

Continuing the charades of the drug war that has resulted us in locking up 25% of the world's prison population is not longer a viable option. Parents should not have to worry about arrest, or losing their kids for their choice to use a safe and beneficial plant. For a lot of people it helps them to not only be just a good parent to their kids, but helps them to be a much better parent.

I firmly believe that cannabis has added value to my two sons' lives. I am a happier person when I use cannabis to ease my tensions and pain. Ice cream tastes better. Movies are more interesting. I can sit at a table a draw with my boys because I am focused and patient due to the mild side effects of euphoria that cannabis can cause. Since when did euphoria become a bad thing?

I am able to use cannabis safely and responsibly in my life. I treat it like I would any other substance in my home. I keep it out of my children's direct reach and I educate them on what cannabis is and why it is a good choice for their dad, both as a medicine and an adult-use enjoyment. They understand that it is dangerous when misused and is not meant for kids, unless they are severely ill. My kids get it, the same way they know not to drink their mother's beer or eat pills if they come across them. They know all of that because we taught them all of that. That is called parenting.

I smoke pot and my wife does not, as it is just not her thing and makes her feel weird. I don't really drink much, as it is not the best choice for me personally. Our family is much better off because my wife and I are able to both responsibly use our substance of choice to take the edge off, and make our sometimes mundane lives just a little more enjoyable. That is how it is supposed to be and there is nothing wrong with that.

Smoking pot makes me a better dad. That is just a fact. We need to ensure that mothers and father like myself have the right to smoke some pot without fear or being treated like a lesser person. It is a very natural thing and something that should be celebrated. We must take back the meaning of what it is to be a responsible stoner again and help the world to understand that weed is a plus in our lives, and as parents.

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