If you are pro-marijuana, what do you teach your kids? - Page 3

[EarthMommy80]

Originally Posted by mamasgroovin

For chinakat

My kids aren't old enough for the talk, but I'll just be honest about my feelings about the whole thing! I'm sure I won't be letting them go through the DARE program though. Some people I know had a kid going through the program, and they were so worried about their kid "finding out about them" and ratting them out. If they were just honest with the kid, it would be a non issue IMO! :
Well, that was the case when I was growing up with pot smokin parents

[KaraBoo]

My husband smokes daily. Our daughter, nearly 9, knows this but at this age, she lumps all substances like that in one group (alcohol, cigarettes, pot...). When she asks more, I'll tell her that different substances affect you differently, that people use them for different reasons and that anything can be addictive. I'll mention that in some countries it is illegal to smoke marijuana but that I don't think it should be. She can make her own choices regarding that.

And it's not "just" a plant. Why would people smoke it if it were "just" a plant?

[mamasgroovin]

Originally Posted by EarthMommy80

My kids aren't old enough for the talk, but I'll just be honest about my feelings about the whole thing! I'm sure I won't be letting them go through the DARE program though. Some people I know had a kid going through the program, and they were so worried about their kid "finding out about them" and ratting them out. If they were just honest with the kid, it would be a non issue IMO! :
Well, that was the case when I was growing up with pot smokin parents

I grew up with a pot smokin mama and it was really hard living with the contradictions. At our school the cops came and burned some and said if anyone has smelled this at home, you need to tell us!! UGH!! She had always been very upfront and honest with her feelings.

You don't really have the option to refuse the program. They'd miss a week of school! A week! At least that's what it was for my kids. And if you send them and say, sorry, my kids aren't going to participate, the kids get left out, YK?

[Neldavi]

Originally Posted by mamasgroovin

I grew up with a pot smokin mama and it was really hard living with the contradictions. At our school the cops came and burned some and said if anyone has smelled this at home, you need to tell us!! UGH!! She had always been very upfront and honest with her feelings.

This is the kind of thing I worry about. We're probably going to homeschool, but still. Did you feel like you should "tell on" your mom and like she was doing something wrong?

[mamasgroovin]

Originally Posted by Neldavi

This is the kind of thing I worry about. We're probably going to homeschool, but still. Did you feel like you should "tell on" your mom and like she was doing something wrong?

Yes. I was going to write more but dh came down and he kinda freaks out a little if I reply to such topics, sooo more to come later...

[Momma Aimee]

I want to teach my children

1. there are laws and accountablity -- you can CHOOSE to disobey a law if you feel that law is wrong ... but you must be willing to accpet the consenquences of that action -- this is the basis of true cilvil disobedance al la MLK .... breaking a bad law, because the law is wrong, but at the same time accepting you ARE breaking a law and accepting the consequences ....

2. that there are possible positive effects to Pot ... but THAT is something for researcher in lab coats and not high schoolers in a van to find out I will tell them that dad an I support the legalization of medical use .... and that we support the use of medical Pot under the care of a doctor in necessary situations. But again, that is not getting high at the local football game.

3. that there ARE problmes iwth drug laws in this counrty and the way they are impacting the justice system and who gets what time ... but that the lkaws as they are ARE ...and if you breakl them, them being wrong dopesn't matter........ to advocate chage we must work within the system for cahge and not jsut break laws and gripe. I will tell him We both feel changes to the over all drug law and sentencing status quo is necessary -- but again -- that is not gonna happen by kids getting messed up on drugs at a party ... go write your congressman

4. that illegal drugs, as well as Rx medication, all have potintal dagerous effects ..... some that may not effect him till much later (low sperm count)

5. I will point out that neither I nor thier dad has ever done any illegal drugs and talk to dad he sure had more than enough fun in high scholl and college with out them.

6. illiegal drug use can have long range effect -- lost money for colloege, kicked off school teams, disallow you from jobs you may want in the future ..... it is not just tonight at a party, it make very well effect you 5 or even 10 or more years from now ......

7. also that with any illegal drug bought off the street you do not really know what you are getting, or who you are dealing with (drugs go though so many hands) that you are taking a MUCH BIGGER risk than just getting high on pot and maybe getting busted by mom or the track coach ..... you could be injesting posion or other drugs or what knows what ....

and finally -- remmber your dad and most of his buddies are LEO ....

in general i want my kids to know Dad and I didn't do it, ddon't do it .. none of their aunt and uncles or family freinds have done it ......and that it is dangerous and illegal.

If it was legal, controled and safe, that would be a differnt story ....

I want them to know that is is not acceptable in our family, just as underage drinking is not, nor is it ok to break other laws.

I want them to know that there IS debate abotu Pot and that it may very well have medical uses

so I want them fully informed, but also to know that i do not find it accpetable behavior for my children.

A

[PrennaMama]

Originally Posted by mamasgroovin

I generally try to refrain from responding to such topics because of the connotations it implies. However, I am pro-legalization. I grew up with a mother who consumed on a daily basis. She was not lazy, crazy, addicted, or anything else. She was creative, loving, hard working, and an all round amazing woman. She always made sure our needs were tended to.

I have 4 kids, and 2 of them are at ages where a mother might begin to get concerned! My 15 y/o ds is uber responsible, and anti-marijuana (still not sure how dh and I managed that one). Because of this, we respect him and do not partake in his presence. We have designated particular areas as "ours" though.

For our 1st kid we were very open and honest regarding our stance, we've even taken him to a NORML rally. For subsequent kids we've toned it down a bit and have decided it's best to keep some things to ourselves. Ds2 is 11 and no where near as responsible as ds1. We need to deal with him a bit differently. I think it is very important to really know your kids well and handle them accordingly.

I fully support marijuana for medicinal use. We also support the hemp industry and buy many products for our household use, and our kids are definitely aware of hemp and it's uses in candles, clothing, etc.

(bolding mine...) Yes to your whole post! Thank GAWD your mom was a strong able woman! I hope to be able to give that same gift of ability and awareness to my children...

My folks were hard-chargers in the 70's and 80's and consumed to a vast extreme all the substances of the day... and oft in front of us, or had folks sleep-over etc so that at 6 it was not uncommon for me to awake on a Saturday morning and have to have cereal and share the Saturday Morning cartoons with burn-outs that were still high from the night before....

Countless times between then and about 14 I confronted them about their drug-use... and then I got tired of being lied to about it (My dad crushed up a vitamin c tablet once, as a demonstration, claiming as he did so that he crushed up his head-ache medicine to put it in his juice because he didn't like to swallow pills, after I questioned him about the teeny spoons and brown vials full of white powder I had found in the bathroom... "I've used pot once, and I didn't like it," my 98 pound mother told me, the day before I started pinching dime-bags from her prolific stash to sell at school...). I stopped asking, very NEARLY turned them in ( part of Nacy Regan's doing!) and started stealing weed from them.

I have NO intention of ever lying about pot to my child. I have seen it backfire too many times.

Our family has a rich history of alcohol and drug abuse and I am planning to educate dd (now 3) on the history of drug use from Shaman to Junkie, toker to tweaker, as soon as she is about 7-8... There is a curve of Social-savvy I heard once (in 94) that indicated that as we gain more access to more information, as our children grow smarter then us, the age of acquisition gets younger... meaning that the average 12 yo of 1994 had the social savvy that a 17 yo had 10 years before... the curve gets steeper each year, and I believe the projected numbers THEN (1994) were that by 2004, the average 8 yo had the same social savvy as a 20 yo in 1994.

I overheard 2 kids on my block the other day... one is 8 the other is 9, and as they walked by, one said, "So does your dad tweak?" The other replied, "No, he just smokes pot, he doesn't do meth, but my uncle's a tweaker. He stole our camera last week..." then they were around the corner...

I'm down with pot, I use it recreationanlly and medicinally, in lieu of drinking. Some families crack open a few cases of beer and wine at a bar-b-que, our extended family does, too... our immediate fam doesn't so much... instead we pass a j... it's in the same vein, in my pov.

I wanna stay ahead of the curve... I don't want some kid on the block or a friend of a friend offering dd anything or educating her on these things, without her having a foundation of real knowledge... I'm envisioning someone offering her something and hearing her spout off about it, what it is, what it does, and why she won't be joingin in... keeping fingers crossed... we all hope for the best right?

[maminatural]

Originally Posted by thismama

There is physical addiction and then behavioural addiction.

Marijuana is not physically addictive.

Many, many things can be behaviourally addictive. Like yeah, shopping, gambling, etc. That is not good.

Sugar is physically addictive. I think sugar should be outlawed before mj, with all the havoc it wreaks on our bodies.

Definitely!

I started off being pro legalization but now I admit I'm pro pot... not necessarily for everyone but for those who can integrate it into their lives as an good thing. I can attest to using it medicinally but occassionally I'll do it simply for pleasure.

I wouldn't have a problem with making it legal under the same laws as alcohol but keeping in mind that it is just a plant.

I recently began to be subtle about the subject with my son and I let him listen to a Dr. Deal Edell show where he spoke about the goodness of medicinal mj...

[Mrsboyko]

My kids aren't old enough for the talk, but I'll just be honest about my feelings about the whole thing! I'm sure I won't be letting them go through the DARE program though. Some people I know had a kid going through the program, and they were so worried about their kid "finding out about them" and ratting them out. If they were just honest with the kid, it would be a non issue IMO!
Well, that was the case when I was growing up with pot smokin parents

This is the kind of thing I worry about. We're probably going to homeschool, but still. Did you feel like you should "tell on" your mom and like she was doing something wrong?

I distinctly remember going thought the DARE program. My parents smoked and yep, I ratted them out. I was removed from the home for 3 days. I am not sure exactly what happened to them, but I am sure it was something. It was never spoken of again in our house. 10 years later my sister stole their stash and flushed it. My parents still refuse to lock it up. Everyone knows where they keep it. I will definately handle things better than my parents did if and when the subject comes up.

[Arduinna]

We taught her the truth. That mj is safe, if you know your source, that it's illegal but in our state it's a ticket except for certain parameters. If you are going to indulge only do so in places and with people that are safe and trustworthy.

[Arduinna]

Originally Posted by thismama

some rules are good rules because they keep people safe etc. and some rules are silly.

yeah that was covered quite extensively on a wide variety of subjects at our house. We don't do rules for rules sake.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by trinity6232000

<snip>
It's true that with some people while smoking pot they can be lazy. But I don't buy the thought that they are lead to be lazy, selfish, irresponsible, because of pot.

<snip>

I myself did plenty when I was younger. I was daily medicating myself for depression. I am not one of those people who can stay productive while smoking daily. I am a person who even when I'm not smoking it's hard to stay on task and stick to a schedule. So for me, smoking daily is not a smart choice.

It wasn't the pot, it was me. It was my choices that led me to be unproductive part of society at that time. The bad choices I made were not the fault of smoking, but because I personally made those choices. I might have made better choices if not smoking daily, but I doubt I would have
made a huge 180 change and suddenly my life choices would have been productive and more responsible.

It's the chicken and the egg argument. What comes first the irresponsibility or the pot?

I also did the self-medicating for depression thing, when I was a teenager. I didn't do a whole lot, and had no desire to do well at school or anything. But, I was like that before I started smoking pot. The only difference the pot made was that I didn't actually want to kill myself every day. (Oddly, both before and during my pot smoking, I did participate in the monthly mathematics league competitions - it was the only thing I had any interest in, academically.) I quit smoking shortly after grad, as I didn't enjoy it, anymore.

My ex also smoked pot, and he exhibited the lazy, irresponsible behaviour that often gets pinned on the pot. He was very unpleasant to be around if he didn't have any, and I found out later that he stole it from my BIL at least twice. However, he exhibited the same kind of behaviour when he couldn't play his videogames for an extended period of time, when he didn't get his morning coffee (he used to use it all up while I was at work, and not tell me we were out...so Saturday morning would come around, and I wouldn't have any), etc. etc. Basically, he had the attitude that he was entitled to whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it, and anything that kept him from it was some kind of deliberate conspiracy that was trying to screw him over...and I was also an unreasonable b!tch for thinking that our very limited money should go to rent, food and clothing before it went to coffees & doughuts at the gas station, online game fees and endless amounts of gas, so that he could drive the 6 blocks to work every day. That was his mindset...the pot was pretty much irrelevant.

[hippymomma69]

Well since my marriage is unraveling due to pot addiction, I guess its *really* going to be complicated for me. I am not anti-pot at all. My DH could just have easily have been an alchy, which is legal. If anything, I think I prefer MJ! At least he's just mellow and not angry, like many drunks get.

Anyway, I think that for my kids in particular, I want to talk to them early about the possible repercussions of trying drugs when very young. Since one or both of them probably has the "gene" for addiction, they need to be very careful about what they try and when. I will basically take the same tack as I would for alcohol. It can be fun, but it can also ruin lives. I also think there are some additional concerns with girls who use drugs early with regard to unwanted sexual activities (the old blackout thing) etc. So I might bring that up too.

The whole legal versus nonlegal thing really doesn't matter to me as much. It's just another factor to consider, I guess. To me it's more of a health issue and I'll probably treat it as such. I wish that's how our country saw it too....

I dunno - I'd like to think that we will have a conversation that sticks but it kind of depends on their peers too....so hopefully I will be connected enough to know their friends well.

BTW, MPP (marijuana policy project) is a great organization to give money to if you'd like to end the prohibition against MJ....they are pretty effective at getting things on the ballot.

peace,
robyn

[guestmama9904]

Originally Posted by ShaggyDaddy

I will tell my kids what I believe to be the truth.

The government is so zelous about prosecuting drugs like marijuana because they do not have a very good infrastructure to tax and regulate them. Since Nixon gave way too much power to the DEA, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 provided them a direct pathway around the constitutional legislative stystem to designate the illegality of drugs without the need for pesky scientific or legal basis. As a result drugs used by Nixon's enemies (hippies) were deemed the most "dangerous" and therefore the "most illegal". Today the government spends more on drug enforcement (including police, DEA, border, customs, and 60% of our prison spending) than they do on education or healthcare. All for a failed political agenda in 1970.

I don't think it's a good idea to smoke pot. I have found through personal experience that it makes my friends boring, lazy, makes them act unintellegent, and it is expensive. I don't think it should be the government's choice, however. If you don't smoke pot cause it is illegal, you have not improved yourself at all, if you don't smoke it because you would like to remain the master of your own thoughts and senses then you are exercising true personal development. I don't think they should smoke pot, and pot happens to be illegal, the two are hardly related. I don't think they should eat trans fats either.

I am not pro-legalization, I am pro-constitution, and since illegalization is not constitutional, I don't believe action should be required to "elevate drugs" but rather to remove illegal political strategies against people who use them (removing their citizenship and political right to vote by making them felons for instance).

And yes, I have made parts of this rant to my 2.5 year old, and no he does not understand a word.

i like this explanation!

I personally cannot use marijuana as it agravated my anxiety disorder to an extreme, like i wwant to send myself to the psych ward extreme. i am not pro pot or anti pot, it just exists in society, i have many close friends and family members who enjoy it and when the time comes i guess i would explain to the kids that pot comes from a plant and can affect the way you feel and think, and it is used as a medicine sometimes and sometimes just for fun kinda like wine or beer. and i would explain that to use pot is a choice they can make when they are grown up (not that i would really expect them never to try it in higschool, a lot of kids do and i wouldnt really be too upset if theey did occaisionally).

my dad educated me about drugs by telling me that he had tried pot once and it made him hungry and paranoid and so he never tried it again, he said he liked drinking more but had to stop after a while because he felt he was getting dependant on it. i think this kind of honesty he had with me was really great. i intend on being as honest as possible with my kids. I also intend on informing my kids of the mnay possible dangers and consequences of pot and other drugs.