Despite it being legal, stigma around cannabis 害羞草研究所� and those who use it 害羞草研究所� certainly aren害羞草研究所檛 going anywhere anytime soon. But one B.C. woman is hoping she can change the negative perceptions of weed-smoking moms, one website view at a time.
Shannon Chiarenza, a Vancouver mom of two, said she started to act as a guide for newcomers to legal cannabis, specifically mothers who are interested in ditching the merlot for the versatile plant.
害羞草研究所淢y background is website design, but I害羞草研究所檝e been a stay at home mom now for a few years,害羞草研究所� she told Black Press Media. While living in the Kitsilano-Point Grey area, she said as a cannabis-user herself, she noticed quickly that other mothers seemed to be comfortable drinking wine, but smoking up was left for the dads.
害羞草研究所淚 never really figured out why 害羞草研究所� but then I felt it myself, as a mom 害羞草研究所� feeling that as a mother you have to hold up a higher standard than even dads, for some reason,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not really a spoken thing, it害羞草研究所檚 a felt thing. It害羞草研究所檚 something we have in our own heads, in our own consciousness.害羞草研究所�
Chiarenza herself admitted that she oftentimes hid her cannabis use from other parents at her children害羞草研究所檚 school to avoid criticism or judgment.
害羞草研究所淵ou do kind of feel like you害羞草研究所檙e the bad mom,害羞草研究所� she said. She quickly realized she wasn害羞草研究所檛 alone, as she connected with other moms and kicked off her Weed Mama project on social media.
害羞草研究所淭hey hide it. They were embarrassed and they didn害羞草研究所檛 want to tell anyone and they had to hide it in shame. So I realized there was definitely a market or place for this kind of a thing where women can feel accepted for what they do and find other moms who do the same thing.害羞草研究所�
Ironically, it was motherhood that reintroduced Chiarenza to cannabis.
害羞草研究所淚 had a very traumatizing birth with my son, and my first pregnancy was painful, too, and it left me with a lot of pain害羞草研究所� she said.
w.soundcloud.com
After a six year hiatus, at the age of 41, Chiarenza decided to try vaping with her husband.
Despite being worried at first that it would trigger her anxiety, 害羞草研究所渋t made me relax, but it took all the pain away,害羞草研究所� she said.
From the basics like how to purchase pot to what it does to your body, as well as how it can help stomach pains or the top three 害羞草研究所渁hhhmazing ways to experience cannabis,害羞草研究所� Chiarenza said she害羞草研究所檚 hoping her website she can educate people on safe use but also the positive culture.
There害羞草研究所檚 also a special section dedicated to cannabis害羞草研究所� benefits for women.
害羞草研究所淔or me, at least, this is one of the biggest areas that cannabis can help woman 害羞草研究所� for painful sex and menstruation and pain that comes after child birth 害羞草研究所� it can really help reduce that,害羞草研究所� she said.
As Canada enters a new age of legal cannabis, Chiarenza said the culture will hopefully move away from negative connotations for those looking to take part, especially for moms.
害羞草研究所淵ou can find things that are very sophisticated 害羞草研究所� there are connoisseurs害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 not just this one-sided thing,害羞草研究所� she said, pointing to those who use it as soft-medical relief for pain and other symptoms.
Since launching her website, Chiarenza said she害羞草研究所檚 received both support and concern, including one person who asked her if she thinks it害羞草研究所檚 wise to be be doing this as a mother and questioning her responsibility.
害羞草研究所淭his is exactly why a lot of moms don害羞草研究所檛 talk about using cannabis, because people still have this old-fashioned ideas about what it is, and modern cannabis is so much more than that and there is a lot of good science coming out about it now. My goal is to educate people so moms don害羞草研究所檛 feel that anymore, they can feel like they害羞草研究所檙e a good mom and can also do cannabis to unwind.害羞草研究所�
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
Like us on and follow us on .
