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Since only 2007 I have been a medicinal marijuana patient, but since 2001 I have been a mother. These seemingly conflicting statements have brought up many conversations and many questions about how and why I use Medicinal Marijuana. I wanted to write a little bit about how my medicinal marijuana use has affected my parenting and share with you, how it helps me to be a better parent.

Living Painless-

My children used to spend the majority of their time with me curled up beside me in bed. I rarely got out of bed and when I did, it was difficult to carry around so much extra weight (nearly 200lbs) and deal with the excruciating pain of Rheumatoids Arthritis. My children suffered from inactivity, with a single mother who didn’t have much left to give them.  I cringe looking back at those dark days, when spending time as a family resulted in time in front of the television. Now, things are very different. I wake up in the morning with a small dose of tincture, a product that binds to the receptors in my brain, stopping the pain I have in it’s tracks. I don’t need to get high, tincture is enough to calm the pain for most of the day, allowing me to finally spend time with my children without having to immediately crawl back into bed. My middle son throws his tiny arms around me all the time and reminds me how much better it is that I can “do stuff” with him. It isnt perfection, I still get tired and overworked, I still get sick from the wastings syndrome and I have yet to get my weight back up to a healthy level (from 200 down to 98, and now hovering right at 120) but my life has changed in so many ways, I just cant wait to see where we go from here. The pain of Rheumatoids Arthritis and Wastings Syndrome has finally become manageable and for that reason, I am a better parent.

Living Patience-

Hippies are laid back, that’s for sure, but when does that laid-back-love-everyone sort of behavior affect their children? There is probably a good reason that Cheech and Chong never had children in their movies, but have you noticed that there is an abundance of their voice overs in children’s stories and movies, even television shows? Having several perspectives is a healthy way to grow up, and giving my children the gift of having a hippy mom, feels quite nice. My eldest came to me and said the words I always wanted to hear. “I know I can talk to you about anything.” He said, as I smiled and hugged him tightly. Medicinal Marijuana allows me to put life into perspective, to really understand what makes something important and what does not. This allows the same freedom for my children, when they are stressing about certain things, they have learned to really investigate what is at the core of the issue. My oldest seems to be embracing this the most, often exclaiming the mantra of our house “Different rules for different families.”  Maybe my children are the smartest children to ever live, but likely its just a healthy sense of questioning the world around them. I no longer live under the pain of RA, and I am finally able to see things for how they really are; for this reason, Medicinal Marijuana makes me a better parent.

Living Happiness-

Let’s be honest when we talk about the lifting effects of marijuana. Since the dawn of life, man has tried to get high in one way or another. Its proven that every culture on every continent has had the propensity to indulge themselves in some sort of mind altering substance. For some it is recreational but for others it is a necessity. Getting high makes you giggle. Getting high makes you laugh, and lucky for me, it makes you hungry. Wastings syndrome took nearly 100lbs off of me, leaving me at 5′9 and 98lbs. The aftereffect of marijuana, the munchies, has helped me regain most of my healthy weight back and regain my ability to move. It has provided an outlet for creativity, a way to live painfree without the drag of narcotics and the ability to laugh at the small stuff, for this reason, Medicinal Marijuana has made me a better parent.

If you have questions for Hemptress December, or wish to contact me personally, feel free to email me at mom@antisoccermom.com.

Colorado is one of the few progressive states that have passed certain laws allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana and because of this strange and exciting turn in social awareness and acceptance pot dispensaries have been cropping up in cities all over the state. It is no secret that Colorado has long been hailed as the mecca of marijuana, the land of milk and honey, a place where organically cultivated high grade marijuana can be bought from the shelves of several different stores, in an open and honest atmosphere of acceptance. The question remains, are marijuana dispensaries all the same?

While conducting several in-depth studies for an upcoming book, I was lucky enough to visit some of these dispensaries and talk with several of the owners. I look forward to speaking with more in the industry and anyone who is interested in the results of these studies will be happy to know, not all dispensaries are the same. Where there is need, there is money to be made, and unfortunately for some patients, these particular dispensaries are not concerned with their health and well-being but more concerned about turning a buck.

I have struggled to overcome my reluctance on talking about specific stores because maybe deep behind their locked doors they all share some common bond, to bring medicine to those who need it. Unfortunately I have found that this isn’t the case at all. I was hesitant to talk about someone who not only offered their services, but helped a close friend out as well. But after three trips to the same place, I feel obligated as a journalist to spread the word of what Ive found.

Read what I found at Lovelands Dispensary- Natures Medicine.....