His friend's mom smokes pot... - Page 2

[imagine21]

I am a medicinal cannabis patient in a State with a legal provision for my usage. I have a 13 year old daughter. She knows about the cannabis and has for many years. Her two closest friends and their parents are aware as well. We keep the medicine under lock and key. We have never had a problem with the kids or the parents understanding my medical use. We believe honesty is the best policy and have discussed this issue with our dd, the rules, the guidelines, the law, alcohol, illegal drugs, perscription drugs, tobacco, use, abuse, misuse, etc... I am a responsible parent, community member and local school teacher.

In the case of the OP, this mother clearly has issues with abuse and I would not let my daughter hang out in a home where drug abuse is taking place. I would be more concerned with the painkillers because if a child/teenager got ahold of them there could potentially be an overdose with dire consequences. If a child/teenager "overdosed" on pot, they would fall asleep.

Most people who commented seemed to understand the relative dangers of the pot vs. painkillers. For those who made comments, and assumptions about those who smoke pot, especially in places where there is no legal provision for medicinal cannabis, try not to paint everyone with such a broad brush; there may be more to a situation than you know or understand.

[Ldavis24]

Originally Posted by mommyinIL1976

Please see my above comment. If you keep drugs in your home and the wrong people know about it, you are inviting trouble. I suppose you will think I am lying, but as I said my husband has investigated crimes of this very nature.

I just to want to say if I haven't said it before. There is a difference between an adult using a small amount of marijuana and someone hoarding pills and being addicted like in the OPs post.

I still find it ridiculous that you think a thug would break into someone's home to steal something that is worth less than 40 bucks. Did they steal anything else? That might have been the motivation for the theft in the first place.

Now someone breaking into a home to steal pills or something like that (hard drugs) that is quite possible as my DH knew someone in high school whose older brother was dealing and their home was broken into on more than one occassion for that specific purpose.

Those instances you claim are ones where I imagine pot happens to be and is taken. Note none of them were of amounts that equal what would be considered recreational use. I think you are confusing people who smoke pot to those who sell it and grow it. There is a huge difference. As a parent I don't do either but my DH does smoke it medicinally and we would NEVER ever grow or sell marijuana. Not just because of the legal implications and the possibility of DD being taken away but because yes you then attract attention from people who might try to rob you because there is the possibility of a big pay off.

[rvamommy]

I happened to stumble upon this thread and wanted to share a little...

I only have a 15 mo. DD so I'm a ways off from having to deal with this situation but I grew up in similar environments. My parents smoked weed, as did a lot of their friends and my family members. All I can say is that it was the early 80's.

Anyways, the trouble came later when my Dad's girlfriend, my sister's mom, started shooting heroin. Obviously we were not allowed around her. The best thing that my Mom did though was to talk honestly with me about it. I was about your son's age, 10 or 11. She explained to me that this woman was sick and that drug abuse was something that could affect anyone. She didn't vilify her, she gave her back a little bit of her humanity. When this same woman contracted HIV, my mom talked to me about it and I learned the true consequences of using drugs.

As I came into my teenage years, there was nothing rebellious or glamorous about drug use for me. I knew that adults did it. I knew that it ruined lives.

Be honest with your son and be a safe harbor. This is the time to establish that relationship b/c once his hormones kick in & the teenage years start it will be a lot harder for him to talk to you about stuff.

Good luck. Hope this helps even a little.

[nudhistbudhist]

Originally Posted by cymbeline

So, out of curiosity, why are the painkillers worse than the pot? I would think the pot is worse?

For one thing, pot is illegal, whereas the painkillers are not (well, technically -- I don't think she's getting them legally).

For another, I don't know where she gets the pot from -- it could be cut with opium or PCP.

This is the biggest misconception ever... For one, marijuana is very expensive these days, as is all the other substances such as opium and PCP. Marijuana is usually sold loose in a bag... it is a dried plant. Heroin and PCP are powders. It would be very difficult to "hide" it in a bag of pot. Not to mention, people don't just "lace" other people's weed with expensive, harder to get substances. It doesn't make sense. The case where you will see a powdered substance mixed with marijuana would be in a joint that someone just rolled at a party or night club or rave style setting. People that use pcp and heroin have more "efficient" ways of doing these drugs like smoking it on glass. Pcp is usually snorted. Smoking either in a joint is like eating soup with a fork... Possible but uncommon

I think anytime a situation is brought to your attention by your child, is a good time to talk about it with them. Be honest but age appropriate. I'd avoid the scare tactics as much as possible, but it seems you already know this I would hesitate to have your child hang out there unattended. Perhaps the mother could use a friend??? Perhaps there is something going on that she is having a hard time coping with and is turning to substances for relief?? In Canada we have programs to help people with substance use issues as well as counseling for women that are available free of charge. This would be better than waiting till things escalate and having the child removed from the home (only to be put in another home where the parents use ). If you are in a position to help, please do. Nobody WANTS to be an addict

[Ldavis24]

Originally Posted by nudhistbudhist

This is the biggest misconception ever... For one, marijuana is very expensive these days, as is all the other substances such as opium and PCP. Marijuana is usually sold loose in a bag... it is a dried plant. Heroin and PCP are powders. It would be very difficult to "hide" it in a bag of pot. Not to mention, people don't just "lace" other people's weed with expensive, harder to get substances. It doesn't make sense. The case where you will see a powdered substance mixed with marijuana would be in a joint that someone just rolled at a party or night club or rave style setting. People that use pcp and heroin have more "efficient" ways of doing these drugs like smoking it on glass. Pcp is usually snorted. Smoking either in a joint is like eating soup with a fork... Possible but uncommon

I think anytime a situation is brought to your attention by your child, is a good time to talk about it with them. Be honest but age appropriate. I'd avoid the scare tactics as much as possible, but it seems you already know this I would hesitate to have your child hang out there unattended. Perhaps the mother could use a friend??? Perhaps there is something going on that she is having a hard time coping with and is turning to substances for relief?? In Canada we have programs to help people with substance use issues as well as counseling for women that are available free of charge. This would be better than waiting till things escalate and having the child removed from the home (only to be put in another home where the parents use ). If you are in a position to help, please do. Nobody WANTS to be an addict

all this is great advice and so true!

[runnerbrit]

If I knew that one of my child's friend's parents smoked pot I would talk to them about it. Not just my child but the adult. It would be treated the same way as alcohol is treated. I expect that is my child is at someone's home that the person watching them be unimpaired; by alcohol or any other product.

One of ds's friend's parents somke pot. If my son is at their home playing they do not smoke in front of him and one parent remains "sober" while he is there. If the parents chose not to respect this then we would have the kids at our house to play instead.

We talk to our kids about drinking, drugs, etc quite a bit as my husband is sober (7 yrs ) and I have a drink on occasion. It is important to us that they understand the different reasons people drink and use drugs i.e. medical and how to do so responsibly.