Pubdate: Wed, 24 Jun 2009
Source: Valdosta Daily Times (GA)
Copyright: 2009 Valdosta Daily Times
Contact: http://ftp-static.cnhi.zope.net/valdostadailytimes/contactus/lettertoeditor.php
Website: http://www.valdostadailytimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1156
Author: Gina Kaysen Fernandes

MARIJUANA MAMAS!

Is Pot The New Pilates?

A new wave of reefer madness is sweeping suburbia — but it's not just
teenagers who are lighting up. Middle-aged, middle-class soccer moms
are smoking pot ... a lot. These women aren't stoners: they're
teachers, lawyers, and, perhaps, even your neighbor who prefers
puffing a joint to sipping chardonnay.

"Marijuana is the magic in my life that helps me unwind, stay sane,
and have more energy," says Sonia, a 24-year-old mother from Los
Angeles. Working full-time as a restaurant manager leaves Sonia
feeling stressed out and drained at the end of the day. She smokes
once or twice daily to relax. "I have a stressful job, it's something
that helps me wind down so I don't take out my frustration on my
husband or my child."

Sonia became a mother at the age of 22 and suffered from some
depression. She turned to marijuana to help curb the baby blues. A
doctor later diagnosed Sonia with anxiety and wrote her a prescription
for the herbal remedy. Sonia gets her stash from a medicinal marijuana
clinic and takes comfort in knowing the pot she smokes is legal and
high quality.

Mary is a 37-year-old, self-employed mother in Seattle who smokes pot
several times a week. "It is relaxing, fun, and once in a while I
self-medicate for cramps or headaches," said Mary. She says she
prefers smoking to drinking beer because it's easier on the body and
has fewer calories. Mary buys her bags from a dealer, making it more
risky because "there's still a real danger of being arrested," says
Mary.

The Web site, Chikii.com, surveyed hundreds of women nationwide
between the ages of 25 and 60 years old. Out of that group, 52 percent
admitted to using marijuana at least 10 times a year. 27 percent
smoked between one and seven times a week. And 78 percent of those
women knew someone who got high on a regular basis.

The results of recent surveys are no surprise to Allen St. Pierre,
executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of
Marijuana Laws, or NORML. "These findings are indicative of women's
willingness to admit to the social stigma that was so high in the
1970s and 80s," said St. Pierre.

Both women who shared their stories with momlogic say that many of
their friends smoke weed. But while it seems "marijuana mamas" are
everywhere, this silent majority prefers to stay in the shadows. "They
think if they admit it, it makes them a bad mom," says Sonia, who
believes the opposite is true. "It makes me a better mother. It clears
my head and allows me to focus on my child." Mary says it's important
to be a responsible smoker "by doing it mindfully, only when I have
downtime."

Sonia has a 2-year-old and is a few years away from the dreaded drug
talk. But she doesn't plan to hide her habit from her son. "I want to
be honest, I don't want him to feel marijuana is an evil thing," said
Sonia. Mary says she's very open about her drug use with her daughter,
Sierra. "We talk about responsible use pretty often," says Mary. Both
women say they never smoke in the house or in front of their children.

There's a lot of debate over how to talk to kids about using drugs 
without sounding like a hypocrite, especially if you're the one 
hitting the bong. Zero-tolerance proponents believe you must support 
abstinence only. But advocates say a more real-world approach is to 
discuss drug use in moderation. This method is detailed in a pamphlet
called "Safety First: A Reality-Based Approach to Teens and Drugs," 
which is distributed by the California PTA.

This growing group of ganja smokers certainly has the attention of
lawmakers. A renewed debate is heating up over legalizing (or at
minimum, taxing the medicinal sales of) marijuana to cash in on this
potential cash cow. According to NORML, marijuana remains the fourth
largest cash crop in America, in spite of the estimated $10 billion
that law enforcement spends annually to attempt to outlaw the plant.
In California, marijuana is the number-one cash crop. Thirteen states
have laws on the books that allow for medicinal use of marijuana. The
most recent federal survey finds more than 100 million Americans have
tried pot at some point, and more than 14 million used it in the past
month. "I think a lot of moms are starting to loosen up," says Sonia.

Both of these moms support legalizing marijuana. "It will help our
economy, help our state, and take away that stigma," said Sonia. Mary
believes pot smoking should be about personal choice, not politics.
"I'm an adult and I make life or death decisions every day. The drug
war has killed lots of people; smoking pot hasn't killed anyone."
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr