{"id":3238,"date":"2021-12-23T18:12:54","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T18:12:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=188880"},"modified":"2021-12-23T18:12:54","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T18:12:54","slug":"how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3238","title":{"rendered":"How to talk weed with your parents during the holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"
How to talk weed with your parents during the holidays – Leafly<\/title> <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You’re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--unavailable hidden\">Sorry, Leafly isn’t available in your location yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>Cannabis can be a contentious topic despite its legal status and chances are if you\u2019re home for the holidays, it\u2019s going to come up. <\/p>\n<p>When it comes to cannabis and parents, things tend to go one of two ways. Some parents want to blame weed for the world\u2019s problems, others want to spark a joint with you.<\/p>\n<p>My own parents tend to fall in line with the former. Like with most issues that arise in this world\u2014we deeply agree. On politics, on science, on what to cook for Christmas dinner. However, cannabis is the one issue I haven\u2019t been able to reason with them on. <\/p>\n<p>They were raised by a generation who bought into the whole <em>Reefer Madness<\/em> scam, so I can\u2019t blame them for it. But as I approach another holiday at home, I wonder if there might be a way to break through their brick wall. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-ask-permission-before-having-the-talk\">Ask permission before having \u201cthe talk\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Lizzie Post, author of <a href=\"https:\/\/emilypost.com\/shop\/books\/higher-etiquette\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Higher Etiquette<\/a>, and great-great-granddaughter of renowned etiquette expert Emily Post, has some helpful advice for anyone in this situation. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAsk permission to have the conversation first, which is a tactic we often bring up in etiquette when talking about a sensitive subject,\u201d she notes. \u201cGet them to buy into the conversation so you\u2019re not just talking at someone but hopefully getting a chance to talk with someone.\u201d <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>The boomer generation grew up with decades and decades of anti-cannabis propaganda. That prohibition mindset doesn\u2019t disappear overnight. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Post also points out the power of your tone and the benefit of taking a step back before engaging to calm yourself and remove any defensiveness from your voice. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI try to hear in my head the voice I\u2019m looking for before I talk\u2014this can mean taking a minute to collect yourself.\u201d She suggests first validating their perspective and acknowledging the concerns they have, and then try asking to present your viewpoint on the issue. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people still shut down, but some will try to have the conversation with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-talking-about-cannabis-helps-normalization\">Talking about cannabis helps normalization<\/h2>\n<p>Another advocate, Chela Coenen, who runs the podcast <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cannabishelpsdementia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cannabis Helps Dementia<\/a>, has firsthand experience with the challenges of navigating medical cannabis use with a parent. <\/p>\n<p>After years of testing various medicines, the most effective treatment she found for her mother\u2019s dementia diagnosis was cannabis. Coenen noted that the best way to talk with your parents about the plant is to focus on the \u201cnon-intoxicating\u201d benefits. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFind a story of someone they can relate to who is benefitting from cannabis in the news, or a study to talk about,\u201d she said. \u201cI also bring an effective topical salve to offer up for aches and pains, without getting anyone high.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"2560\" height=\"1709\" alt=\"adult son and senior father talking and laughing at home\" class=\"wp-image-189268 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays-1.jpg,compress&w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays-1.jpg,compress&w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays-1.jpg,compress&w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays-1.jpg,compress&w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Tired of sneaking out for a \u2018walk\u2019 before dinner? It might be time to talk about the green elephant in the room. (Lightfield Studios\/Adobe Stock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Post agrees, noting how important it is for them to see shining examples of cannabis consumers or patients who are successful and happy in life and work. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy parents have seen cannabis in my life, yet they haven\u2019t seen my work slow down, or my enthusiasm for friendships and socializing slow down. A lot of the impression, when drugs or any substance are viewed as a bad thing, is because we see it impacting lives negatively,\u201d shares Post. <\/p>\n<p>Jessica Mac, a writer and marketing specialist from Salt Spring Island, BC, knew her dad smoked weed but it was something they never talked about. As a teen, she recalls the smell in the garage that made her realize her dad was a smoker, but she never approached him about it. <\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t until she started writing about cannabis as an adult that he slowly started to open up about his own usage. Sometimes, sparking up the conversation can be a powerful tool for normalization.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-xxl wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-related-articles\">\n<p><h2>Related articles<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cOne summer I went home to visit and he was growing cannabis in his garden, and that kind of opened the door because he saw I did knew what I was talking about. I bought him weed seeds for Christmas, and now he comes to me for advice about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-prohibition-propaganda-took-its-toll\">Prohibition propaganda took its toll<\/h2>\n<p>The boomer generation grew up in a time where using cannabis was seen as purely recreational\u2014and prohibited. <\/p>\n<p>While some boomers certainly have helped destigmatize weed, many fell prey to the counterculture of it all, something they couldn\u2019t necessarily relate to. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve had 60 years of being told it isn\u2019t good,\u201d Post noted. \u201cThe people who were putting it out there in the heyday were part of a counterculture movement that was purposely trying to dress, look, and act differently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Post explains how difficult it is to expect someone to immediately change their mind. Especially after decades of only seeing one representation of what a cannabis consumer looks like. It takes time to see the multifaceted aspects of cannabis and its role in society.<\/p>\n<p>And even post-legalization, the <em>Reefer Madness<\/em> fear still plays on repeat in their heads. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe boomer generation grew up with decades and decades of anti-cannabis sentiment,\u201d Mac told Leafly. \u201cMy dad\u2014even though he\u2019s very pro-cannabis\u2014he\u2019s still afraid to talk about it on the phone or even mention it in an email.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe still calls it his \u2018tomato plants.\u2019 I asked him if I could get him a little pipe for a gift and he said \u2018no, no, no\u2019 because he was really afraid he would be caught with paraphernalia. So I think a lot of boomers have all of these hang-ups about it.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" alt class=\"wp-image-66532 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays-2.jpg,compress&w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays-2.jpg,compress&w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays-2.jpg,compress&w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays-2.jpg,compress&w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Reefer madness portrays cannabis use as a gateway to depravity and sin. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Post\u2019s final piece of wisdom\u2014acknowledge that cannabis is just a plant, it isn\u2019t inherently bad or good. She explains that there are negative aspects that are important to acknowledge, especially from it still being illegal in most of the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrafficking, crime, and people being hurt from [prohibition] is a bad thing\u2014legalization [can help] eliminate the bad things that come from it. We have legal guns, alcohol is legal, tobacco is legal, there are a lot of so-called \u2018bad\u2019 things out there that are totally legal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Legalization allows people to be fully educated about the risks and benefits of cannabis, without having to rely on illicit sources. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cGetting people to really understand and see the whole picture\u2014the good, the bad, the ugly, the wonderful, the miraculous\u2014all of it,\u201d Post said. <\/p>\n<p>And at the end of the day, that\u2019s all you can really do.<\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays.jpg\" alt=\"Lisa Lagace's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Lisa Lagace<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Lisa Lagace is a Toronto-based freelance writer covering lifestyle, health, and entertainment. You can find her work in NPR, New York Post, Marie Claire, and more.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/news\/author\/lisa-lagace\">View Lisa Lagace’s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly’s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --> <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-12-24 01:40:27 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to talk weed with your parents during the holidays – Leafly Link copied to your clipboard Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? Which part of Canada? Darn! You’re not old enough to use Leafly. Sorry, Leafly isn’t available in your location yet. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Cannabis can be a contentious topic despite its legal status and chances are if you\u2019re home for the holidays, it\u2019s going to come up. When it comes to cannabis and parents, things tend to go one of two ways…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/how-to-talk-weed-with-your-parents-during-the-holidays.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}