Mother's little helper — pot

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lorraine Perone on July 27, 2009 at 11:06am

Earned it? are you kidding me?? once you are a parent your job is protecting and caring for these little gifts(let's hope Love is a given here) and put all your drugging DOWN! If you can't, maybe you should take a look at why. It is ironic how we buy the freshest fruits and vegetables, pay more for organic products, strap our kids in the car seats with the highest safety ratings and then are getting or are high or buzzed in front of them?? News Flash...if you're using drugs and have children in your care, you are endangering their welfare ~ and others for that matter, if you're behind the wheel. for all those moms/caregivers who minimize or defend their actions by saying it's no big deal, then it shouldn't be a big deal if you DON"T. Wait for your kids to be grown & out of the house before you use drugs again ~ hopefully you won't ~ but while the children are home and under your care put them first.

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Permalink Reply by Lorraine Perone on July 27, 2009 at 11:30am

it seems everyone is forgetting that pot is still illegal and when you possess it, buy it and smoke it in public you can be arrested.

Andrea Tarrant said:

I've read a lot of these replies and all have some great points. It is a crutch, it is illegal, it does relax you, everything is fine in moderation, a couple of puffs isn't any different than a glass of wine. I would say from the illegal stand point, so is pirated dvd's...how many of your children have downloaded movies right now in their library? What message are you sending with that? The only reason it has not been legalized yet is because the gov't has not developed a sobriety test similar to the breathalyzer. Do you know who much money has been spent on the war on marijuana in the US? Billions and billions. Not drugs, but specifically marijuana. Does anyone think that money could have been better spent somewhere else? Child trafficking for one? Not trying to get off topic but, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones...until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes, you shouldn't judge...to each his own and whatever works for you works. I think topics like these are great to remind us that it's ok to have differing views of opinions.

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Permalink Reply by kristina moore on July 28, 2009 at 2:51pm

what it comes down to is the basic right of every human being to make there own choices. even god gave us free will. I am a cancer surviving professional chef who snokes pot at night in my room with the window open and doors closed. My kids may know but never say anything, if they asked i would tell them the truth though. I work hard and am a single mom and as long as i am paying my taxes and making my kids go to school and dont drive or let them partake then my life is my own and noone has right or priviedge to pass judgement. Must be doing something right because both my boys are staright a student with pefect attendance. So yes to each his own. I cant drink wine so i smoke pot...grow it in the garen with my tomato plants...so there

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Permalink Reply by Cecily Jordan on August 1, 2009 at 8:48am

Just from personal perspective - pot is not exactly the healthiest way to relax. Almost instantaneously it increases the heart rate, which can be dangerous for anyone with cardiac complications (specifically those who are unaware of the fact) and, in some people, elicits hyperventilation (related to panic attacks). It dries the mouth and throat and causes bloodshot eyes. It reduces reaction time, coordination and concentration and can, over time, permanently reduce short-term memory. In addition, research has indicated not only that some regular users of marijuana experience temporary infertility, but also that, contrary to popular belief, marijuana contains some of the same toxins that cause cancer in cigarette smokers (but in higher amounts). To boot, research has indicated that regular users tend to become psychologically dependent on marijuana because they crave that same sense of relaxation that has been mentioned so many times as a response to this post.

Marijuana is illegal, and it is unhealthy. Rather than propping ourselves up on the false sense of relaxation provided by marijuana, why not relax in a warm bath? Or, since research has indicated that regular exercise and a healthy diet can bring a fantastic sense of self, peace, calmness and accomplishment, why not try that? Or, perhaps, a good book and one glass of wine? There are so many other options that are a hundred times healthier.

This is just my take.

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Permalink Reply by Cindy Callinsky on August 2, 2009 at 6:11pm

The Union

This is on Netflix Instant play. It's one of the best that I've seen.

What is THIS?

Huh?

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Permalink Reply by LaBrujaRoja on August 2, 2009 at 11:22pm

No, what's ironic is that unless you're in favor of going back to alcohol Prohibition, all of your arguments can also be used about a glass of wine. No one has said anything about using it "in front of them" either, and again, I would think it just as bad for kids to see a parent, mom or dad, drinking to excess. I notice references to dads are conveniently absent, who are rarely, if ever, defined by a job "protecting and caring for these little gifts." Even now, men who become dads are still allowed to be a whole person, not undergo some sort of mommylobotomy where any adult life is over because they are now tethered to their role of caregiver. No wonder so many women burn out, but we're not even allowed to talk about it for fear of being accused of not loving our kids enough. If it's in privacy of our own room, after kids go to bed, kids won't see, just like sex. Amount used can be controlled, just like you can have glass of wine or a cocktail responsibly, or you can get falling down, passing out drunk. Many moms are given tranquilizers, anxiety pills, and pain meds, and even driving while on benadryl can cause accidents. None of this is good if misused, and same holds true for marijuana. And using the phrase "News Flash" in a debate is smug, condescending, and just plain rude.

Lorraine Perone said:

Earned it? are you kidding me?? once you are a parent your job is protecting and caring for these little gifts(let's hope Love is a given here) and put all your drugging DOWN! If you can't, maybe you should take a look at why. It is ironic how we buy the freshest fruits and vegetables, pay more for organic products, strap our kids in the car seats with the highest safety ratings and then are getting or are high or buzzed in front of them?? News Flash...if you're using drugs and have children in your care, you are endangering their welfare ~ and others for that matter, if you're behind the wheel. for all those moms/caregivers who minimize or defend their actions by saying it's no big deal, then it shouldn't be a big deal if you DON"T. Wait for your kids to be grown & out of the house before you use drugs again ~ hopefully you won't ~ but while the children are home and under your care put them first.

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Permalink Reply by Cindy Callinsky on August 3, 2009 at 5:08am

Bravo!

LaBrujaRoja said:

No, what's ironic is that unless you're in favor of going back to alcohol Prohibition, all of your arguments can also be used about a glass of wine. No one has said anything about using it "in front of them" either, and again, I would think it just as bad for kids to see a parent, mom or dad, drinking to excess. I notice references to dads are conveniently absent, who are rarely, if ever, defined by a job "protecting and caring for these little gifts." Even now, men who become dads are still allowed to be a whole person, not undergo some sort of mommylobotomy where any adult life is over because they are now tethered to their role of caregiver. No wonder so many women burn out, but we're not even allowed to talk about it for fear of being accused of not loving our kids enough. If it's in privacy of our own room, after kids go to bed, kids won't see, just like sex. Amount used can be controlled, just like you can have glass of wine or a cocktail responsibly, or you can get falling down, passing out drunk. Many moms are given tranquilizers, anxiety pills, and pain meds, and even driving while on benadryl can cause accidents. None of this is good if misused, and same holds true for marijuana. And using the phrase "News Flash" in a debate is smug, condescending, and just plain rude.

Lorraine Perone said:

Earned it? are you kidding me?? once you are a parent your job is protecting and caring for these little gifts(let's hope Love is a given here) and put all your drugging DOWN! If you can't, maybe you should take a look at why. It is ironic how we buy the freshest fruits and vegetables, pay more for organic products, strap our kids in the car seats with the highest safety ratings and then are getting or are high or buzzed in front of them?? News Flash...if you're using drugs and have children in your care, you are endangering their welfare ~ and others for that matter, if you're behind the wheel. for all those moms/caregivers who minimize or defend their actions by saying it's no big deal, then it shouldn't be a big deal if you DON"T. Wait for your kids to be grown & out of the house before you use drugs again ~ hopefully you won't ~ but while the children are home and under your care put them first.

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Permalink Reply by joan hees on August 3, 2009 at 8:54am

Being a Californicator, medMJ's readily available & a script a phone call away from my rheumatologist. Being involved in a nasty divorce/custody battle, the VERY LAST thing I'd have done these past 3 yrs would have been to show up on THAT party list! Soooo, what's a gal w/ systemic Lupus to do if she truly doesn't wish to use prescription narcotics that muck up things that ARE working right (ie, constipation sucks!)...? To Be Continued.... gotta go be a Mom!

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Permalink Reply by RockMutha on August 9, 2009 at 10:45am

Pot is definitely more prominent then most people think. I personally think its better than drinking but just like any other substance, does not belong behind the wheel. If the toxicology reports say she had pot and alcohol in her system then she and everyone involved have paid the ultimate price. I feel for the husband tho, he lost it all and his poor son will have an awful burden to bear the rest of his life. I hope for their sake the initial reports are not true and their son can grow up knowing his mother was not the murderer people are making her out to be.

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Permalink Reply by Lorraine Perone on August 10, 2009 at 8:07am

Intelligent and stupid people become addicted to drugs. Not because they want to, but because any psychoactive substance can activate addiction(SAMHSA). Having "it" (addiction/alcoholism) in your family, makes you more prone, just like any other pre-disposition. Not having "it" doesn't protect you from developing an addiction and only gives people a false sense of security. Of course, all parents only want the best for their children & we should refrain from judging each other BUT it seems,as a society, we stop informing ourselves, and our children, when it comes to the harmful effects of alcohol and other drugs. Using drugs, including alcohol, when we are taking care of those that are dependent on us, is putting them at risk. if there is an emergency, we need to be able to think clearly and react immediately. those of us that drink,smoke "a little pot" or whatever...behind closed doors with the windows open or in the open; are making excuses for our behavior. we are obligated to get informed. just because our parents did it doesn't make it ok. That's what we learned by their example! The research today can teach us so much about addiction and health that we should think twice before we minimize our actions. there is no shame in being afflicted with the disease of addiction. there is however, responsibilty to be taken in passing it on and being a poor role model to our children. If you think you or someone you know has a problem there is a solution. you owe it to yourself and your children to get well. Learn about addiction and alcoholism. Be Informed. Diane Schuler did not set out to kill herself and 7 others.

carmen miranda said:

There are some big leaps made in here! Smoking doesn't necessarily mean you have a problem, as Alicia said, sometimes it's nice to relax. That said, I have only engaged about 5 times in the 18 years that I've had kids - I just don't like it as much. But, such sweeping statements don't help the problem. The "mommy nights" scare me far worse where moms think it's fun to drink wine and let the kids play. Yet - what do people think happened in the 60s and 70s? I remember my parents having a drink as soon as my dad (and then later my mom, too) got home from work.

Like anything else, it's about intelligent decision making, responsibility, being wary of dependency, and healthy choices.

Meg Hansen said:

I think if you need to smoke pot to relax then you have a problem. There are so many other options out there than this. And, smoking pot opens the door to many other problems. Pot smokers will debate you on this but I know plenty of people that have gone on to do more harmful drugs and I think it just makes you stupid after awhile.
A lot of people do it and more than I realize. It's kind of scary I think.

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Permalink Reply by joan hees on August 10, 2009 at 9:40am

First, I want to applaud each of you for offering your honest opinions on this topic. I cannot think of a more important subject to responsibly discuss with our children & each other... well, truth be told, drug use & abuse is a close second to safe sex.

And, as with sex, we all know that teaching abstinence from drug experimentation simply relegates the topic to the "round file" in terms of providing real-life values for our kids. In my opinion, demanding abstinence of our teens with regard to drugs & sex is tantamount to absentee-parenting. There's no way that kids won't encounter drugs &/or sexual situations in their risky adolescent years.

When my kids, now 18 & 15, were younger, I allowed them to watch "R"-rated movies, so long as I WAS THERE WITH THEM. I felt it was far better that MY values (vs. their friends' or no-one but the filmmaker's values) be represented as they viewed "objectionable" material. Of course, as kids' independence grows with the years, it's impossible (not to mention, kinda creepy) to be present when they meet up with sex & drugs.

Nevertheless, when I smelled pot at their Dad's house one day (Dad wasn't home!), I decided that the best thing to do was to get ahold of some of their stash & sample it myself to ensure that it wasn't spiked with crack cocaine, or worse. Pot today is far stronger than it was when I was a teen, & likely to be "cut" with street drugs. My son was very cooperative in providing me with some of his pot, knowing that I had his (& his sister's) best interests at heart.

I smoked that sample & was quite relieved -- my kids have access to Medical Marijuana & it's consistently free of add-in's &/or, G-d forbid, Paraquat. You should all be aware that Paraquat is strongly suspected in neurological disorders. For example, Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's Disease was likely triggered by long-term use Paraquat-tainted marijuana throughout his teen years. What a disgusting & incredibly cavalier part of our Government's anti-drug campaign THAT turned out to be! Ironic, isn't it, that Nancy Reagan now is a strong supporter of stem-cell research, as is MJF's foundation, when back in the day, Ronnie & she made "Just Say No" their mantra while the DEA showered marijuana with noxious substances. Didn't they learn anything from "Agent Orange"?!!

You may wonder whether I've smoked pot with my kids. The answer is, "Absolutely NOT," nor am I likely to do so in the future. But, because of my openness in sharing my experiences with MJ "back in the day," as well as my current-day research on all drugs that my kids are likely to encounter, I feel confident that, right at this moment, my precious babies are able to make intelligent decisions ON THEIR OWN. And, for my money, I'm doing a decent job as a Mom.

But hey, I could be delusional... That's a conundrum I face each & every day! ;-]

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Permalink Reply by Lorraine Perone on August 10, 2009 at 11:47am

I think your "stradegy" is a good one ~ involved and communicate with your kids. God forbid, they can't stop or get in deeper, it sounds like you are available and parental. (*key being PARENTAL!) once we have done our best, we can only pray our kids are alright. doesn't sound delusional to me...

joan hees said:

First, I want to applaud each of you for offering your honest opinions on this topic. I cannot think of a more important subject to responsibly discuss with our children & each other... well, truth be told, drug use & abuse is a close second to safe sex.

And, as with sex, we all know that teaching abstinence from drug experimentation simply relegates the topic to the "round file" in terms of providing real-life values for our kids. In my opinion, demanding abstinence of our teens with regard to drugs & sex is tantamount to absentee-parenting. There's no way that kids won't encounter drugs &/or sexual situations in their risky adolescent years.

When my kids, now 18 & 15, were younger, I allowed them to watch "R"-rated movies, so long as I WAS THERE WITH THEM. I felt it was far better that MY values (vs. their friends' or no-one but the filmmaker's values) be represented as they viewed "objectionable" material. Of course, as kids' independence grows with the years, it's impossible (not to mention, kinda creepy) to be present when they meet up with sex & drugs.

Nevertheless, when I smelled pot at their Dad's house one day (Dad wasn't home!), I decided that the best thing to do was to get ahold of some of their stash & sample it myself to ensure that it wasn't spiked with crack cocaine, or worse. Pot today is far stronger than it was when I was a teen, & likely to be "cut" with street drugs. My son was very cooperative in providing me with some of his pot, knowing that I had his (& his sister's) best interests at heart.

I smoked that sample & was quite relieved -- my kids have access to Medical Marijuana & it's consistently free of add-in's &/or, G-d forbid, Paraquat. You should all be aware that Paraquat is strongly suspected in neurological disorders. For example, Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's Disease was likely triggered by long-term use Paraquat-tainted marijuana throughout his teen years. What a disgusting & incredibly cavalier part of our Government's anti-drug campaign THAT turned out to be! Ironic, isn't it, that Nancy Reagan now is a strong supporter of stem-cell research, as is MJF's foundation, when back in the day, Ronnie & she made "Just Say No" their mantra while the DEA showered marijuana with noxious substances. Didn't they learn anything from "Agent Orange"?!!

You may wonder whether I've smoked pot with my kids. The answer is, "Absolutely NOT," nor am I likely to do so in the future. But, because of my openness in sharing my experiences with MJ "back in the day," as well as my current-day research on all drugs that my kids are likely to encounter, I feel confident that, right at this moment, my precious babies are able to make intelligent decisions ON THEIR OWN. And, for my money, I'm doing a decent job as a Mom.

But hey, I could be delusional... That's a conundrum I face each & every day! ;-]

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