With cannabis legalization just around the corner in Canada, we wanted to sneak this episode in before the country is swarmed with the madness of legislation and politics. In true YGTMAMA form, we wanted to discuss the topic of cannabis but pertaining to parenting, motherhood specifically. We see so much romanticizing of alcohol use in motherhood. The whole “Mommy-juice” and “Wine-O-Clock” phenomenon, but when it comes to cannabis there are still some pretty heavy stigmas and judgments associated.
Today we are hopefully going to debunk some of the myths and de-stigmatize the issues around marijuana. We couldn’t think of better guests to do that with than Devon Scoble and Irie Selkirk.
Devon Scoble is a mom, editor, and cannabis enthusiast. A former food and lifestyle writer, she moved onto the cannabis beat after a series of health issues forced her to give up eating gluten. Devon is currently the content director at Hempster, a cannabis education site with a health and wellness focus, and at Natural Care, a cannabis prescription service for seniors. When she’s not talking about how much she loves weed, she’s probably out adventuring with her six-year-old son, her partner, and their dog.
“There are different properties and different strains that can encourage different attributes…Start low and go slow.” ~Deven Scoble Irie is a mom of an eleven-year-old daughter, six-year-old son and seventeen-year-old stepdaughter. She is the co-founder of the Green Tent and a freelance cannabis consultant. She also has founded a Toronto-based Facebook group for like-minded Cannabis-using parents to share and connect free of judgment and stigma called CannaMama Collective.
“Cannabis keeps patience and kindness in my heart.” ~ Irie Selkirk
Devon sees herself as an agent for cultural change in terms of the cannabis. Both mamas entered into the cannabis world by using it for its medicinal properties and it evolved from there. They both realized that this was an industry that needed more in terms of educating the public and policy makers on it. Irie shares: “We would like to guide the conversation as to how women look at cannabis, make sure that everything is education based. And help women craft their relationship to cannabis as legalization rolls out.”
As we jump into the topic of starting the conversation about cannabis with our kids, both mamas give us some tips. In Irie’s home, cannabis has always been presented to her kids as medicine, this conversation got tougher when her eleven-year-old asked why her mom was using it when she wasn’t sick. She explained to her daughter: “It’s Mom’s cup of tea”, basically anything can be solved by using it. Sometimes it’s a check-in, a start-up or a wind-down in dealing with all the things that happen in our life. Her short answer is that we need to talk to our kids openly about cannabis and educate them that it is a very safe substance that is coming out of 100 years of prohibition with a lot of misinformation about it.
Devon recommends starting the conversation with kids similar to having the sexual education talks. By explaining that cannabis is for adults, to be careful around it, and take the questions as they come. Then answer them matter-of-factly. Right now we are raising “cannabis-normalized generation”, who are learning to take it at face value.
Devon grew up in a cannabis normalized household but her education was still very fear based. “Don’t tell anyone or I will go to jail”, her father would threaten. He would caution her that it is safe, but still, they had to be careful about what they said. Now that we are moving into legalization there is a higher interest in lower dose strains, CBD strains and it’s not about trying to get as high as possible with the smallest amount of marijuana now. Women are facing less judgment for it and are coming out about their usage.
Devon encourages before you go out and buy cannabis to figure what you want. Are you looking to relax? Relieve anxiety? Feel more social? More creative? “There are different properties and different strains that can encourage different attributes…Start low and go slow.”
Irie feels that once we lose the stigma that surrounds cannabis so much and start using different language the dialogue will open up about how to use cannabis to enhance our parenting experience. “Cannabis enhances experiences, it enhances our senses.” She goes on to list some of its side effects which include euphoria, melting away stress, increased patience, and tolerance. Her favorite quote is: “Cannabis keeps patience and kindness in my heart.” It can allow us to be more present with our children, to quiet the outside noise. “Cannabis is where you drop in” she claims. It’s not about losing control. All of sudden Candyland, Peppa the Pig and Grade 5 math all seem more enjoyable. She urges you to look for the right balanced strain of THC to CBD, 1:1 or 2:1 ratio for you to see this benefit of cannabis.
“Cannabis enhances experiences, it enhances our senses.” ~Irie Selkirk Irie comments that the world is watching Canada as we legalize, women are going to start helping cannabis become more normalized globally as well. We are setting the standard. Irie believes that cannabis will mitigate the harm done in our society in so many different ways, from pharmaceutical abuse to crime rates and a decrease in DUI’s. There’s more money through taxation that can be used for damage control. She proclaims that ultimately cannabis is a really safe plant. With education, science, and legalization the conversation is finally starting to head in the right direction. There are amazing social and medical benefits to cannabis, but it is also fun, playful & joyful.
All the science has been shut down for one-hundred years, now it has been opened again and it we will continue to learn more about the possibilities of cannabis. There are a lot of different beneficial ways to enjoy the plant.
Safety tips from Devon:
Be mindful.
Test it out when your kids are not around if you are new or coming back to it.
Make sure edibles are labeled and/or locked away from them. There are some great accessories available for doing this.
Resources from our Incredible Mama Guests From Devon: Strainprint: is a mobile app for medical cannabis users to track their intake and learn which strains and dosages work best for them
Hempster.co: great place to obtain cannabis and get information
Cannabis vaginal suppositories(not readily available yet but amazing for menstrual pain) but Charlene Freedom offers great workshops on this
Events around the city being hosted by Green Tent
Connect with Devon: FB: Devon Scoble
IG: @devonscoble
From Irie: Vanderpop: cannabis lifestyle brand, amazing data collection on women’s usage.
The Her(B) Life: celebrates the feminine cannabis experience through interviews, stories, and personal essays.
Tokyo Smoke: is for the sophisticated smoker, those who embrace high design and alternative states of mind. They have events going on in the city.
Add THC or CBD to your favorite skin cream, it will reduce inflammation, improve the appearance of your skin, and remove sun spots.
Guided meditation
Connect with Irie: IG @irievs
Www.marijuanamaven.ca
IG @camptgt
Www.thegreentent.ca
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