Marijuana Moms

For several families, marijuana is just another word for “mommy’s medicine”. Many claim that consuming cannabis has not inhibited, but rather enhanced, their ability to parent.

Kaycee Cuesta and Amanda Snider are some of those parents. They double as advocates and patients who use cannabis daily: Cuesta uses it for pain management and migraines, while Snider uses it to combat the symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Both women also previously used prescription medications — including narcotics and opioids — to curb their symptoms, but have found more relief in medical marijuana. “[…] I became dependent on [narcotics], and that meant losing sleep at night and other problems,” Cuesta explained. “What mom can function through pain and no sleep? Marijuana changed that for me.”

For Snider, cannabis offers far fewer side effects than prescription medication, which generally makes her more capable of parenting.

However, not all parents share this perspective. Cuesta said it’s even caused her daughter to lose a friend. Despite the shame and stigma they experience, these marijuana moms remain full believers in the plant’s benefits, and said they wouldn’t hesitate to give it to their children IF needed.

Cuesta and Snider keep their cannabis use away from their children, but they know the importance of educating them on the difference between use and abuse, and the availability of alternatives to pharmaceuticals. “I think, ‘Mommy needs a hit of cannabis should be just as socially acceptable as 'mommy needs a glass of wine!'” Cuesta said.