Marijuana and kids

[LongLiveRafiki]

You do realize that if she was taking prescribed pain medication that she could be very much impaired?

Not sure if you were directing that at me or just generally toward everyone, but I'll give my opinion, because I was actually going to bring up something about this in my post but thought it was getting too long. Personally, I would not allow relatives to watch my kids while they were under prescription narcotics. I have a lot of experience with these for my own medical conditions and know my tolerances, but I don't know the tolerances of my relatives as they don't have much experience with them so I don't know what side effects they will experience. If they took them regularly and I was around them enough to feel comfortable that they weren't in any way impaired and fully capable of caring for my children, I might be willing to reconsider my position on this, but it would also be a different situation because it would be legal, prescribed, and overseen by a Dr specifically for their medical condition, as opposed to the OP's mom's situation where none of these things apply. On the rare occasions that relatives have been on prescribed narcotics, I have not allowed them to babysit, nor would they have been in a proper condition to do so. That's not to say that no one can take narcotic pain meds and be clear headed and capable of watching kids, because I do. But I also have dealt with them since before I had kids and was able to learn what worked, what didn't, what side effects I have, and how those side effects change based on different things I do or eat. I have had negative reactions, including allergic reactions from new medications requiring hospitalization, so if I start a new med, I make sure DH is able to be home with the kids and I, or the kids stay with relatives for the first day or two, until I figure out how it's going to effect me.

 

[luvsJack]

Not sure if you were directing that at me or just generally toward everyone, but I'll give my opinion, because I was actually going to bring up something about this in my post but thought it was getting too long. Personally, I would not allow relatives to watch my kids while they were under prescription narcotics. I have a lot of experience with these for my own medical conditions and know my tolerances, but I don't know the tolerances of my relatives as they don't have much experience with them so I don't know what side effects they will experience. If they took them regularly and I was around them enough to feel comfortable that they weren't in any way impaired and fully capable of caring for my children, I might be willing to reconsider my position on this, but it would also be a different situation because it would be legal, prescribed, and overseen by a Dr specifically for their medical condition, as opposed to the OP's mom's situation where none of these things apply. On the rare occasions that relatives have been on prescribed narcotics, I have not allowed them to babysit, nor would they have been in a proper condition to do so. That's not to say that no one can take narcotic pain meds and be clear headed and capable of watching kids, because I do. But I also have dealt with them since before I had kids and was able to learn what worked, what didn't, what side effects I have, and how those side effects change based on different things I do or eat. I have had negative reactions, including allergic reactions from new medications requiring hospitalization, so if I start a new med, I make sure DH is able to be home with the kids and I, or the kids stay with relatives for the first day or two, until I figure out how it's going to effect me.

One of the problems with prescribed pain meds is that they ARE prescribed and seen as safe. They are not. You have no way of knowing how much of the prescribed meds the person is taking.

Now, personally, given the choice I would let the person using marijuana in the way the OP’s mom is keep my kids way before the person on pain meds. Of course I am not talking about the local stoner here.

The mom of dd’s friend let me know before dd stayed over there that she does smoke. She told me she would not smoke in the car or the house with dd there. I was fine with it. She is a great mom and always watchful and careful with the kids. If dd had been a baby or toddler, I may have felt differently but at 11? She was perfectly fine and in better care than the mom who wasn’t under the influence of anything and wouldn’t let the kids eat (gave them small meals and then said whatever other food was there was for her husband) and thought it was funny when her dog all but attacked one of them (thought this woman was sane, I was wrong. One and done. Dd never went back).

I mean everybody has to do what is right for their kids and what they feel comfortable with, of course.

 

[Colleen27]

This whole post started because an 11 year old girl noticed and was commenting on the smell of marijuana, yet everyone keeps insisting it doesn't smell. I don't get it. The exact level of it's smelliness doesn't matter. The girl in question noticed it and that's why this thread was started.

The only reason the smell even matters is that it is the reason the girl will know about the marijuana usage in this case.

Well, no. Most of the posts about it not smelling that strong/lingering that much came in with the "if the girl is there, her clothes will smell like it and CPS could end up involved" line of reasoning. At least that's what I was reacting to. I don't dispute that someone who smokes smells like it for a period of time after smoking, as does the area in which that person smoked. But I don't think there's the same second hand/clinging to everything effect you get with cigarette smoke.

it's entirely legal to purchase/carry/consume here in washington-but smoking/vaping or use of any type is NOT on the sidewalk, in a city, county, state or federal park, in any other public place or 'in public view', including on private property if it's close enough to a public space where people can view the usage or smell the smoke/vape in use.

i'm not saying it never happens but the laws are enforced so unless someone wants to pay a hundred or so dollars for each infraction they tend to use it in private.

Man, why bother legalizing it? Seriously, what is the point of making it legal if it can't even be used on private property except within the confines of one's home? I hardly know anyone who smokes *anything* in their house any more but it seems like with those rules, in the house is the only place pot can be smoked.

 

[bcla]

But in OP's mom's situation, she lives in a non-legal state, and the marijuana is not prescribed by a Dr. so therefore a) she is doing something illegal, b) the amount is not controlled, regulated or overseen by a doctor for her particular medical condition, c) there's the risk that the marijuana could be laced with something, and d) the smell was strong enough that the 11 yo made comments about it, indicating that there was enough pot residual in the house for third-hand smoke exposure.

Now, I'm not in any way trying to invalidate the grandmother's medical condition or need for pain relief, nor am I trying to get into whether or not MEDICAL marijuana should be legal. That's not the issue here. The fact is that it's not legal in OP's state, so regardless of opinions on whether or not it should be medically, her usage of it is illegal. When you (general you) expose a child (and 11 is a really impressionable age) to something illegal, or perhaps more concisely in this case- to the knowledge that a family member is doing something illegal, what example is that setting for a child who is still learning about laws and responsibilities?

Secondly, when dealing with un-regulated marijuana (such as from an illegal source), you never know what can be in it. If a batch were laced with something, it could cause a variety of side effects that might not only be dangerous for Grandma (especially given she has a medical condition), but could be scary for an 11 yo to witness. Obviously, I hope nothing like that would happen and no one expects something like that to happen, but it is a chance I would not want to take risking exposing my kids too. Plus the fact that medical conditions really should be overseen by a Dr and with it not being a legal state, it's possible the Dr is unaware of the pot usage. This could have an impact on other medications interacting with it or just the body's response to it due to the medical condition, which can happen at any time given the changing nature of medical conditions, tolerances, and differing potencies and chemical compositions of street pot. Again, this could be a scary thing for a child to witness if something were to happen.

Thirdly, the exposure to the third-hand smoke from the pot residue within the home would be concerning for me in regards to my children. The residue left from smoke on surfaces interacts with common substances in the air and creates a mix of compounds commonly known to cause cancer and to be especially dangerous for children to breathe in.

Medical marijuana is hardly regulated other than the businesses that distribute it aren't worried about being in an underground economy any more. A grandmother buying $25 worth of pot a week for medical needs isn't going to be in much risk of even getting a fine unless there's some extremely fervent anti-pot sheriff or police chief.

I certainly don't like the smell of any smoke, but grandma isn't taking a toke in the presence of kids. There are a lot of things that are theoretically cancerous, but I don't stop giving fries to my kid because I'm scare of acrylates. And I've taking my kid camping where we had a campfire that was putting out tons of wood smoke.

As a kid I remember being told pot is evil and don't do it. I certainly don't have a need to try it myself. However, my attitude has changed. I don't see it as an evil weed, and for adults who feel they can control it I see it as more innocuous than having a beer, which I'm having right now.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

One of the problems with prescribed pain meds is that they ARE prescribed and seen as safe. They are not. You have no way of knowing how much of the prescribed meds the person is taking.

Now, personally, given the choice I would let the person using marijuana in the way the OP’s mom is keep my kids way before the person on pain meds. Of course I am not talking about the local stoner here.

The mom of dd’s friend let me know before dd stayed over there that she does smoke. She told me she would not smoke in the car or the house with dd there. I was fine with it. She is a great mom and always watchful and careful with the kids. If dd had been a baby or toddler, I may have felt differently but at 11? She was perfectly fine and in better care than the mom who wasn’t under the influence of anything and wouldn’t let the kids eat (gave them small meals and then said whatever other food was there was for her husband) and thought it was funny when her dog all but attacked one of them (thought this woman was sane, I was wrong. One and done. Dd never went back).

I mean everybody has to do what is right for their kids and what they feel comfortable with, of course.

Obviously, everyone has different views on this and that's okay. I enjoy reading others' perspectives on these types of things, so thanks for sharing yours . My kids aren't old enough to have sleepovers with friends yet and I only have relatives that I'm comfortable with watch my kids, so I haven't yet been faced with the sort of situations you've described. It's definitely tough judging how others who you dont know too well will be around your kids and that's not something I'm looking forward to when the kids become old enough for friend sleepovers!

In regards to your first 3 sentences, with family, I know none of them would have a problem with showing me their medicine bottles so I could see what they're on and their dosage. In fact, I already know what meds anyone in the family who watches my kids takes because they always ask me what I know about it, and I trust them enough not to take more than prescribed. Like I said, depending on the med, I wouldn't allow them to watch my kids unless I knew confidently that it would not impair them. You're right that no medication is completely safe, but neither is pot. People can and do have side effects and allergic reactions from it as well.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Medical marijuana is hardly regulated other than the businesses that distribute it aren't worried about being in an underground economy any more. A grandmother buying $25 worth of pot a week for medical needs isn't going to be in much risk of even getting a fine unless there's some extremely fervent anti-pot sheriff or police chief.

I certainly don't like the smell of any smoke, but grandma isn't taking a toke in the presence of kids. There are a lot of things that are theoretically cancerous, but I don't stop giving fries to my kid because I'm scare of acrylates. And I've taking my kid camping where we had a campfire that was putting out tons of wood smoke.

As a kid I remember being told pot is evil and don't do it. I certainly don't have a need to try it myself. However, my attitude has changed. I don't see it as an evil weed, and for adults who feel they can control it I see it as more innocuous than having a beer, which I'm having right now.

I'm not sure about the laws in all the states where it's legal, but in California (given that that's where you're from), all dispensaries must be state-licensed and regulated and all marijuana products sold must be tested for molds, pesticides, and other contaminents. The potency must be tested and labelled with levels of THC, CBD, and other active compounds, and some products are limited on how much THC can be present. This makes it much safer than street pot, which can vary incredibly in composition and strength and really is the luck of the draw with what you end up with. Knowing what's in what your taking and the strength of it provides safety and consistency, especially I would think when using it for medicinal purposes. Is it better to have a bottle full of different pain meds of varying strengths and compositions and pop one randomly to control a medical condition, or to know exactly what works and take the same medication and dose to control your pain?

Sure there are tons of things that are bad for you- it seems like everything is these days! Everyone has different opinions on parenting and what they find acceptable to expose their kids to. Interesting point about the campfire smoke. I've never really researched that before so didn't think about its possible harmful toxins.

 

[bcla]

I'm not sure about the laws in all the states where it's legal, but in California (given that that's where you're from), all dispensaries must be state-licensed and regulated and all marijuana products sold must be tested for molds, pesticides, and other contaminents. The potency must be tested and labelled with levels of THC, CBD, and other active compounds, and some products are limited on how much THC can be present. This makes it much safer than street pot, which can vary incredibly in composition and strength and really is the luck of the draw with what you end up with. Knowing what's in what your taking and the strength of it provides safety and consistency, especially I would think when using it for medicinal purposes. Is it better to have a bottle full of different pain meds of varying strengths and compositions and pop one randomly to control a medical condition, or to know exactly what works and take the same medication and dose to control your pain?

Sure there are tons of things that are bad for you- it seems like everything is these days! Everyone has different opinions on parenting and what they find acceptable to expose their kids to. Interesting point about the campfire smoke. I've never really researched that before so didn't think about its possible harmful toxins.

I don't have a whole lot of experience buying pot, so I wouldn't have necessarily known. However, I did drive by Oaksterdam University last weekend, so I've seen where this stuff is sold. I thought that the businesses were simply just licensed and weren't worried about being arrested by local law enforcement.

Wood smoke is pretty nasty, but at least nobody I knows is deliberately concentrating it. We get "Spare the Air" days where having a fireplace fire is subject to a regional fine because it decreases air quality. It's pretty well known that woodland firefighters breathe in a lot of this smoke and it negatively affects their health. When there were the big Northern California fires, I was out a little longer than I should have been and the smoke was literally choking me. I could literally feel my lungs burn a little.

https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/91br023.pdf

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I don't have a whole lot of experience buying pot, so I wouldn't have necessarily known. However, I did drive by Oaksterdam University last weekend, so I've seen where this stuff is sold. I thought that the businesses were simply just licensed and weren't worried about being arrested by local law enforcement.

Wood smoke is pretty nasty, but at least nobody I knows is deliberately concentrating it. We get "Spare the Air" days where having a fireplace fire is subject to a regional fine because it decreases air quality. It's pretty well known that woodland firefighters breathe in a lot of this smoke and it negatively affects their health. When there were the big Northern California fires, I was out a little longer than I should have been and the smoke was literally choking me. I could literally feel my lungs burn a little.

https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/91br023.pdf

Wow, I had no idea! As a teenager we lived in a house with solely a pellet burning stove for heat, so I found that publication incredibly interesting and informative. Thanks!

 

[barkley]

Man, why bother legalizing it? Seriously, what is the point of making it legal if it can't even be used on private property except within the confines of one's home? I hardly know anyone who smokes *anything* in their house any more but it seems like with those rules, in the house is the only place pot can be smoked.

it isn't as strict as it sounds-it's not like someone on their deck in the backyard enjoying a joint is going to be busted (in fact it's become as frequent in some circles to see it at bbq's as bottles of beer). the laws are being looked at currently to see where they can be tweaked to make things more reasonable without infringing on the non imbibing public's rights as well. i think the state opted to err on the side of initialy having tighter restrictions then looking to how things worked out and potentially loosening some.

I'm not sure about the laws in all the states where it's legal, but in California (given that that's where you're from), all dispensaries must be state-licensed and regulated and all marijuana products sold must be tested for molds, pesticides, and other contaminents. The potency must be tested and labelled with levels of THC, CBD, and other active compounds, and some products are limited on how much THC can be present. This makes it much safer than street pot, which can vary incredibly in composition and strength and really is the luck of the draw with what you end up with. Knowing what's in what your taking and the strength of it provides safety and consistency, especially I would think when using it for medicinal purposes. Is it better to have a bottle full of different pain meds of varying strengths and compositions and pop one randomly to control a medical condition, or to know exactly what works and take the same medication and dose to control your pain?

Sure there are tons of things that are bad for you- it seems like everything is these days! Everyone has different opinions on parenting and what they find acceptable to expose their kids to. Interesting point about the campfire smoke. I've never really researched that before so didn't think about its possible harmful toxins.

ABSOLUTLY.

the regulations here are VERY HIGH. dispensaries and producers are so regulated and watchdogged that they are over the top 'by the book' (i'm in my 50's and obviously could walk into any liquor store, with a dispensary i have to show my legal i.d. to so much as walk in the front door, they aren't going to wait until i ask to purchase an item). the tests and labeling for the products on the market is mind boggling. it's like going into an old school pharmacy where every item has detailed information about it's contents, levels, potency, what type (if any) of 'high' it provides or what type of medicinal attributes it contains.

those that were against legalization claimed that b/c of all the regulations the state wanted to put into place (and the INSANE taxation) that the result would be a legal product that was far more expensive than what was sold on the streets causing street purchases to increase. the exact opposite has occurred-b/c of the legal monies coming in the legal producers have been able to do more research and refinement resulting in prices that the illegal street vendors with their unsafe garbage can't come close to matching so street sales have greatly reduced.

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

You do realize that if she was taking prescribed pain medication that she could be very much impaired?

Not really ... depends on several things . I have been on opioids ( 4 kinds ) for 10 + yrs and my meds do not cause impairment under the law , my body has adjusted and I don’t get the “ floaty “ impaired feeling ... just less pain . I will be having the medical marijuana discussion with my dr next visit only because I know those types of medications still cause damage INSIDE your body over time . I do not tell people what meds I take but the people that do know were surprised and would have never guessed because there are no signs .

 

[luvsJack]

Obviously, everyone has different views on this and that's okay. I enjoy reading others' perspectives on these types of things, so thanks for sharing yours . My kids aren't old enough to have sleepovers with friends yet and I only have relatives that I'm comfortable with watch my kids, so I haven't yet been faced with the sort of situations you've described. It's definitely tough judging how others who you dont know too well will be around your kids and that's not something I'm looking forward to when the kids become old enough for friend sleepovers!

In regards to your first 3 sentences, with family, I know none of them would have a problem with showing me their medicine bottles so I could see what they're on and their dosage. In fact, I already know what meds anyone in the family who watches my kids takes because they always ask me what I know about it, and I trust them enough not to take more than prescribed. Like I said, depending on the med, I wouldn't allow them to watch my kids unless I knew confidently that it would not impair them. You're right that no medication is completely safe, but neither is pot. People can and do have side effects and allergic reactions from it as well.

Yes, you are so right about determining if people are responsible enough to let your child stay with them! You think you know them and they are ok and then your child goes over and they act like they have lost their minds, . I guess its just a difference in households but when your kid calls you as soon as they open their eyes the next morning and wants you to come get them, you know to check that house off the list! She left that morning before her friend even got up! (the one with the dog).

I have a bil who was addicted to pain killers so my views are biased I must admit, but I would have a hard time leaving my dog with him much less my child. He would be so out of it most of the time. And the sad thing was, he was on the pain killers for a honest to goodness bad injury from a wreck that all the drs. said should have killed him. He wasn't out trying to get high or whatever you would call it, with pills; they were prescribed because he needed them. In all honestly, marijuana would have served him better if it would have worked for his pain.

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

Yes, you are so right about determining if people are responsible enough to let your child stay with them! You think you know them and they are ok and then your child goes over and they act like they have lost their minds, . I guess its just a difference in households but when your kid calls you as soon as they open their eyes the next morning and wants you to come get them, you know to check that house off the list! She left that morning before her friend even got up! (the one with the dog).

I have a bil who was addicted to pain killers so my views are biased I must admit, but I would have a hard time leaving my dog with him much less my child. He would be so out of it most of the time. And the sad thing was, he was on the pain killers for a honest to goodness bad injury from a wreck that all the drs. said should have killed him. He wasn't out trying to get high or whatever you would call it, with pills; they were prescribed because he needed them. In all honestly, marijuana would have served him better if it would have worked for his pain.

Is he a addict or is he “ physically dependent “? There is a huge difference between the two .. someone that has to live on pain meds will end up physically dependent and will have withdrawal if stopping .. a addict abuses the meds along with being dependent and most of the time ends up going to other drugs or buying illegally.. after 10 +years my body is most definitely dependent but in no way am I a addict .

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

https://www.centeronaddiction.org/t...nce-between-physical-dependence-and-addiction

 

[longboard55]

The interesting thing about marijuana lately is how common the older set is using for medical purposes. I know many who swear buy it and have reduced their use of prescription drugs and alcohol. Also there does not seem to be a coorelation between this Opiod use and legal marijuana, in fact the opposite.

I have never been a marijuana user but my views have changed

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

The interesting thing about marijuana lately is how common the older set is using for medical purposes. I know many who swear buy it and have reduced their use of prescription drugs and alcohol. Also there does not seem to be a coorelation between this Opiod use and legal marijuana, in fact the opposite.

I have never been a marijuana user but my views have changed

I have never been a pot smoker but after 10 yrs of opioids I would gladly give it a try ..

 

[luvsJack]

Is he a addict or is he “ physically dependent “? There is a huge difference between the two .. someone that has to live on pain meds will end up physically dependent and will have withdrawal if stopping .. a addict abuses the meds along with being dependent and most of the time ends up going to other drugs or buying illegally.. after 10 +years my body is most definitely dependent but in no way am I a addict .

He became physically dependent and then became an addict. He never going to other drugs, but had no choice but to buy the pills illegally as he reached a point he could no longer get them legally.

 

[longboard55]

I have never been a pot smoker but after 10 yrs of opioids I would gladly give it a try ..

not sure how it works on pain, but there seems to be benefits for the anxiety people and sleeping pill alternative. You do not need to smoke it, they sell drops. The older we get, the more we learn many of these prescription drugs are not good and should be avoided

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

He became physically dependent and then became an addict. He never going to other drugs, but had no choice but to buy the pills illegally as he reached a point he could no longer get them legally.

Yeh .. sounds like it ! That is one of my worst nightmares .. uugg I do sympathize though .. it’s tough when you live your everyday life on those types of medications .

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

not sure how it works on pain, but there seems to be benefits for the anxiety people and sleeping pill alternative. You do not need to smoke it, they sell drops. The older we get, the more we learn many of these prescription drugs are not good and should be avoided

Yeh and one of my meds is ambien .. I have already qualified but I want to have more of a talk with my dr before I make a switch .. I do Botox for migraines every 3 months and I wouldn’t want that impacting my Botox .

 

[bcla]

Wow, I had no idea! As a teenager we lived in a house with solely a pellet burning stove for heat, so I found that publication incredibly interesting and informative. Thanks!

Pellet burning stoves tend to be pretty clean though.