No matter how old we become, we are always our parents’ children and they will always look at us in a certain light. We, of course, know this. When our mom licks a Kleenex and wipes our face, we’re reminded. Talking to Your Parents (as an Adult) About CannabisWhen our dad tells us to be home by midnight when we stay for a visit, we’re reminded. When they tell us that we’ll always be their babies, we know that that’s not hyperbole. Of course, this is just the way it goes. Once you’re a parent, you’re a parent forever. For those of us who use cannabis, this brings about a bit of a challenge. We’re old enough to make our own choices and so we do. Some of us even live in legal states. Yet this doesn’t always matter.

Continue Reading Below

Parents Who Get Down With Pot

There is certainly a generational ganja gap, with the younger generations more open-minded than those who remember where they were when John F. Kennedy was shot. This is changing – as the benefits of cannabis come to light, seniors are becoming Mary Jane’s biggest fan. Talking to Your Parents (as an Adult) About CannabisThey’re such a fast-growing demographic that if she held a concert, some would be found in the crowd throwing their compression stockings onto the stage. This isn’t usually an issue, as many of us disagree with our parents about a variety of things. But, as the holiday's approach and family gatherings lurk on the calendars, those who want to embrace holiday cheer with the herb might find themselves hesitant.

The Right Way to Talk to Your Parents about Pot

So, how do you talk to your parents about weed when they’re in the anti-crowd? There is no surefire solution that we can give you – you know your parents better than an internet article. Yet there are some things that might make the process easier. And these include: Educate them: One of the biggest reasons (if not the biggest reason) people are against cannabis is they are uneducated. They’ve bought into the pot propaganda. They believe that it’s a gateway drug. They don’t want it legalized. They don’t want their tax dollars going to rehab facilities due to its highly addictive nature.

Continue Reading Below
So, show them the studies. Show them the science. Encourage them to learn about it from places other than Jeff Sessions press conferences

Show them it works: As mentioned above, pot use among seniors is growing and growing fast. The reason for this is that seniors benefit from its medicinal benefits. Even seniors who are fit and healthy tend to have the typical aches and pains that come with growing old. If this applies to your mom or dad, use this to your advantage. Find a CBD topical that helps with a bum knee or a strain that eases the pain of a sore back. When you show people how something benefits them, they tend to see it in a positive light. It’s funny how that works.

Follow their rules: If you’re visiting your childhood home over the holidays, it’s probably best to abide by your parents’ rules. They probably won’t ground you if you don’t (though you never know), but no one wants to see a Thanksgiving argument break out (and not just because of the giant carving knife laying in the middle of the table). If you parents ask you not to smoke in their home, respect that. In other words, take an edible instead

Don’t get super high: Even if your parents allow you to consume marijuana under their roof (or you find a more discreet way to break their rules), try to refrain from getting super high. You’re trying to get your parents on the cannabis bandwagon, not leave them scouring the internet for rehab facilities. This isn’t to say you can’t get buzzed, but doing your first dab? Let’s call that plan B.

Continue Reading Below

Ask them if they want to try it: If your parents are game, ask them if they want to imbibe with you. You may even offer to start them off on a lowish-THC strain that won’t do much to them psychedelically. Or you might offer a high CBD strain that will do even less. You don’t need to peer pressure them – come on, Dad, you want to be cool, don’t you? – but your parents might be curious. And they may need you to help them express that curiosity.

Know that some minds won’t change: No matter what you say or do, your parents’ minds simply won’t change. The world views on cannabis are growing increasingly progressive, but that doesn’t mean that everyone’s on board. Some people are so set in their ways that they’ll never budge from the beliefs they hold. If this is the case for your parents, there is probably very little you can do to convince them otherwise. Just hide your stash, lest your mom throws it out like she did all your baseball cards.

Pot remains a controversial subject and some parents will prefer you stayed away from it entirely. But communicating is the only way to find out for sure. My own grandmother had never smoked marijuana and then decided, at sixty-nine-years-old, that it was past time she tried it.  Sometimes, people surprise you.