Before you get all excited, you should know that this is not an opinion piece.

We’re not writing to tell you how much we love weed. We’re not here to say that marijuana is the only thing that (safely) removes us from the overstuffed Rolodex that is our-brains-on-kids for long enough to actually chill when it’s time to unwind.

This is not an ad for pot. (Although don’t you kind of wish it was?)

This is us, supplying information, to you, because we believe that you deserve the right to as much knowledge and information as possible about anything that pertains to your body and your health.

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In 2018, cannabis is set to be legalized in Canada. And that’s a big fucking deal. Because there are a lot of people out there (a lot of WOMEN out there) who believe cannabis is an untapped well of health and wellness options for the female body (and mind. #bless).

Cannabis today isn’t just that bong hit you took back in 2001 that had you hallucinating rainbows and eating Mrs. Fields cookies in your best friend’s basement ‘till you puked. Just like you, the plant has evolved – so has our understanding of it and the purposes it can serve.

Did you know that the leaves of the cannabis plant can’t get you high, but if you grind them up into a paste, they can have incredible anti-inflammatory effects?

Did you know that cannabis has been proven to help treat women-specific health issues, including menstrual pain and cramping?

Did you know that the entire plant is a viable source of medicine? The roots, the stem, the leaves, and the bud (the bud’s the part that we’ve all come to know over the years).

Photo by Jessa Carter, acquired by Van der Pop

But bud aside, why should you give a shit about cannabis?

Because its relationship with society is about to change completely, and as active participants in society (which, baby-haze or not, YOU ARE), you deserve to be equipped with knowledge that’ll allow you can make informed decisions about your future relationship with the soon-to-be-legalized “drug.”

For the past four years, we’ve fielded a lot of questions about marijuana – usually by way of a direct message or an anonymous post in our private group. Why so low key? Because apparently moms aren’t allowed to talk about weed (much less smoke it!). But guess what, guys – the numbers are in (see below), and now we’re calling bullshit.

Last week we were invited to attend an event called Women & Weed. There, we learnt that there is a collective of highly intelligent women (and a few progressive dudes sprinkled in the mix) out there who are doing everything they can to create community, to be a source of information for women in regard to cannabis, and most importantly, to start a conversation – a conversation that we believe moms should be a part of too.

It’s time to ditch the stigma. Time to rethink the rhetoric. Time to start finally discussing cannabis as medicine (that can also be used recreationally), because any other definition of it is fundamentally wrong.

So let’s get to it, but let’s start at base level.

How do modern women relate to pot?

The following infographic (created by Van der Pop) will give us a better idea:

So what can we surmise from all this? For starters, it’s clear that there is such a thing as a mature, adult approach to discussing and engaging with cannabis. It is also clear that we need to reimagine the public associations around who uses cannabis because the current stereotypes are causing a major mental block for a lot of people (women especially).

If we, as mothers, want to leverage the possible health benefits of the shifting body of research on the plant, we’ll need to feel comfortable discussing it with our peers, doctors and health-care providers. Women are curious, and for good reason. Let’s do what we can to ensure that those who seek information are able to access to it quickly, easily, and without censure.

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If you want to learn more, here are some trustworthy resources:

The Cannabis http://www.thecannabist.co/
Tokyo Smoke https://ca.tokyosmoke.com/
Van der Pop http://www.vanderpop.com/
Weed Week https://www.weedweek.net/
Want Cannabis App

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Featured Photo by LIFE UNRULY

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