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I've had this discussion before and while I would be fine letting my 14 year old have some wine during a meal as part of a Jewish religious tradition like Passover, where the wine is part of the service, I would not smoke pot with him. I don't smoke it anyway, but I still wouldn't light up and offer him some if I did. As it turns out, he dislikes wine, and substitutes apple juice (he doesn't like grape juice either) on Passover.
and btw, it is legal for a parent to allow their minor child to have alcohol in many states as long as they are in a private residence. I'm pretty sure pot has no such exception.
My kids didn't like wine at that age either. They would choose the grape juice at communion. Just wait a few years.
Absolutely not. Before the age of 25 its shown that THC damages developing minds.
But I did have a edible with my 30 yr old daughter last week. As a parent of young kids I set a example of not using or abusing drugs or alcohol while they were under age and could be affected by it. But I am pretty happy all my kids are adults now.
Like Judge Judy would say "RIDICULOUS".
The country seems to have no boundaries anymore,everything goes.
Well, there ya go...I mean it is Judge Judy! Now if Jerry Springer said it, that would be the nail in the coffin.
More seriously, it is legal in my State at a certain age (definitely not 15). No, I would not partake with my kid and don't think that 15yr olds should be doing it. I do think it is safer than alcohol on many levels.
Problem is that there isn't much moderation in terms of the immediate...meaning that you are pretty much either high or you're not. With alcohol, I can have a glass of wine or bottle of beer with my kid and be fine.
So there is variation. If it were between my kid drinking until intoxicated every night or getting high every night, I'd choose marijuana. I wouldn't get high with my kid but would have a drink with him (when he is of age).
But that is only because it is so new that there is still a stigma with marijuana. Who knows how it'll play out in a generation or two.
No. I don't think anyone can ever be a "Perfect Parent" but everyone can try to model good behavior, including following laws. That's doesn't even get into whether pot is good or bad for anyone, it's just common sense IMO. Ideally my kids wouldn't have any reason to smoke pot or tobacco, or drink alcohol, or live an unhealthy lifestyle but I can't control that. The only thing I can control is my behavior around them.
My kids are adults now and they do smoke and drink and sometimes tease me about smoking pot with them but they have never seen me smoke anything. I used to say "maybe when it's legal" but that time is already here and I'm still not doing it. Why? I personally have no interest in pot and won't be smoking it with my kids just because I can legally.
A good friend of mine had 2 teenage daughters.
She raised them in a way that made them know they could talk to her about anything, anything at all.
One came to her about sex at the age of 15 or so and she hooked her up with birth control and gave her a long talk about how her daughter might ruin her life if she were not careful and got pregnant.
She let her get belly-button and tongue rings at around the same age.
She told them they could drink but if they did, call her to get a ride home...
She let them smoke pot..
You know what?
Those 2 daughters both turned out to be responsible, mature adults and never had any negative consequences from any of the above.
It's all about if they respect their parents and their parents respect them, and the ability to communicate ...
IMHO.
Pot is way better than alcohol. People driving on pot tend to go slower instead of faster and I've never seen anyone have a wreck under the influence of pot. Seen plenty of alcohol related wrecks...
Pot will not rot the liver or give an ulcer... in fact it is anti-inflammatory and is being researched heavily in that regard nowadays.
My kids didn't like wine at that age either. They would choose the grape juice at communion. Just wait a few years.
the only thing I can predict with any success is that my kiddo is unpredictable. I would never presume to say what he will or won't do down the road in this regard or any other. He has a strong contrarian streak in him that could end up making him the non-drinker laughing his azz off at his drunk friends in college. Who knows?
A good friend of mine had 2 teenage daughters.
She raised them in a way that made them know they could talk to her about anything, anything at all.
One came to her about sex at the age of 15 or so and she hooked her up with birth control and gave her a long talk about how her daughter might ruin her life if she were not careful and got pregnant.
She let her get belly-button and tongue rings at around the same age.
She told them they could drink but if they did, call her to get a ride home...
She let them smoke pot..
You know what?
Those 2 daughters both turned out to be responsible, mature adults and never had any negative consequences from any of the above.
It's all about if they respect their parents and their parents respect them, and the ability to communicate ...
IMHO.
Pot is way better than alcohol. People driving on pot tend to go slower instead of faster and I've never seen anyone have a wreck under the influence of pot. Seen plenty of alcohol related wrecks...
Pot will not rot the liver or give an ulcer... in fact it is anti-inflammatory and is being researched heavily in that regard nowadays.
Anecdotal fallacies strewn about...I could give my own. Everyone I knew in college who regularly used pot, maybe 20% of them turned into successful adults. The rest, about 90%.
The myth that marijuana is harmless is one reason why teens use it before they realize the harm it does to their bodies and minds. That the harm is usually mild or not worse than alcohol doesn't make it harmless.
No, I wouldn't want my kids to see me stoned any more than I'd want to see them stoned.
Way back when, I tried it a few times and I wouldn't want them to see the giggling idiot I know I'd be.
I also wouldn't have condoned it recreationally when they were teens. It is bad for young people's memory and concentration, and only if they needed it medicinally would I have condoned it.
IMO, being under the influence of either pot or alcohol just isn't something I'd like to share with my kids, even though they are now adults in their 30's.
I know my 16 (almost 17 year old) smokes pot. He's a straight A student, has a job at a local golf course, plays basketball, sings in the choir at my synagogue, is an active participant in youth group.
I would NEVER sit and smoke with him! I'm his mum not his buddy.
I smoked when my daughter was in high school, but she was totally straight edge back then and dating the son of a preacher man. She would not have considered it, but even if she did smoke, I would not have encouraged it nor would I have smoked it with her or in her presence.
As it was, when we were in Amsterdam together when she was 24, I had to practically drag her into a coffeehouse to smoke with me because that's an experience you're supposed to have in Amsterdam.
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