Cannabis. Weed. Marijuana. What do you call it? And what do you look like?  If you’re reading this, we’re guessing you don’t resemble the quintessential stoner character or anything even remotely reminiscent of the characters from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Crushing Stoner Stereotypes

The face of cannabis has evolved. Or, more aptly, the many beautiful and wildly diverse faces of cannabis have been given, through advocacy, legalization and the like, a reason to come out of the shadows.

We’re loving the exploration of what this all means. How has the stereotype been crushed? And by whom?

This week we explored a group that the media has coined Pot Moms.  And here’s what we learned:

For many, the thought of Mom smoking cannabis is as ridiculous an idea as they come. But for one Colorado mother, it’s real. And it’s been life-altering.

Pot Moms

Brittany Driver was overcome with grief when a close friend of hers passed away. The intensity of her grief made it difficult for her to eat. She began medicating with cannabis after she found it helped her regain her appetite, which, in turn, helped her break through her struggle with grief and strengthen her role as a parent. Though Driver resides in a state where marijuana is fully legal recreationally, under Federal law, the usage of cannabis is forbidden. Marijuana is still classified under Federal law as a Schedule 1 substance.

The gray areas of cannabis – present and future – do little to assure Driver that her responsible use of cannabis won’t in turn endanger her role as a parent. Many Pot Moms fear the threat of Child Protective Services and the possibility of agencies acting under those gray area federal provisions, even though though they are using legally and in accordance with state laws.

Driver is confident that, as more brave Pot Moms come out as such, many misconceptions about pot, and who uses, will die.  And fear, and the likelihood of its underlying source, will subside.

Driver is a columnist for The Denver Post’s The Cannabist, writing about Pot and Parenting and working to break the stigma of Pot Moms.

Moms for Marijuana International is a group established in 2005 that works to spread awareness and education on the topic.  This group is an incredible resource as well.  Please check them out here: Moms for Marijuana.

We would love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment below: Should moms be allowed to smoke cannabis?