While practically everyone associates cannabis with the month of April due to 420, almost no one associates the biggest holiday in May with it. I’m not talking about Memorial Day, but Mother’s Day. Although they damn well should, because I’d be willing to bet that no one needs weed more than parents, and probably to a greater extent, moms. It’s the job that never ends, gets no sick days or time off, and gets basically no recognition except once a year at your favorite restaurant and maybe if your kid wins a Grammy or the Super Bowl. On top of the fact that it has been absolutely one hell of a year, many moms would gladly trade that bouquet of orchids and homemade brunch for a blunt filled with her favorite flowers. No wait, on second thought, keep the brunch, ditch the florals.
I’m a mom of two middle grade kids and I’m not ashamed to admit that in a year of never ending shut downs and isolation, the only thing that kept me going was weed. I swear, being a parent is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I know I’m not alone, because in my side group chat with some close friends from the mom group chat, firmly 100% of them agreed that weed was helping them hold it together against never ending expectations. Teaching from home while trying to also work? (Discretely) Pass the blunt. Being a teacher is hard as shit. Also “teaching” two different grades at the same time? Forget it. First of all, math has completely changed since I was in school. Trying to teach my fourth grader to carry the two resulted in blank stares, and eventually, my oldest had to chime in because she is the one who knows what’s happening. It didn’t take long before I was taking “nightly walks” to manage my anxiety.
You hear a lot about weed stigma, and moms get it the most. While winding down over wine is considered perfectly acceptable, if anyone finds out you smoke, or enjoy special brownies every once in a while, everyone is ready to call child protective services. Moms are supposed to be super women, who never need any help. However, is that realistic, never needing anything? Aren’t we all human? Yes, but moms are held to a different standard, so you keep it on the super hush hush level and do everything to hide your preferences so edibles win over bongs and blunts for me for obvious reasons. Curious eyes and noses don’t question why mommy smells weird. Micro dosing edibles to calm my anxiety has been a godsend, and I’ve been traveling to my guy at Select for a while now to get the best, and for flower as a treat when I really really want it. I live in a state where you have to have a medical card, but I’m not far from a state where recreational weed is legal, so once cannabis was labeled “essential”, I frequently pick up a shit ton of chocolates and gummies, since my work sometimes brings me to the city.
Make no mistake, just because I’m discreet doesn’t mean I’m embarrassed of my love of cannabis. In fact, I think it makes me a better mom: more calm, focused, clear headed, creative, and relaxed. Perfect for keeping a clear head and managing stress, which only helps my kids. Who knows if I’ll ever be found out, but to me, it’s worth the risk. If my kids ever ask, I’ll tell them the truth. I hate to sound trite, but this is how I found my tribe: fellow weed heads who love their kids and are trying to work at the same time. While things are going slowly back to normal, I definitely know that cannabis will remain a part of my routine and is important in making me the mom I am today.
