Daddy, Why are there so many Mary Ja Wanna signs in Seattle? How do you talk with your kids about pot.

[homesinseattle]

Thanks guys, I'm actually great with what we say to our daughter. Just curious to hear some of your methods. We'd rather she didn't smoke pot so choose not to vilify it, but to make it sound unattractive.

[GraceKrispy]

I agree with capbat about it not being that different from the alcohol ads and stores that are all over the place. In fact, those are even more prevalent and make drinking look like lots of fun and what adults *should* be doing.

I have 3 teenagers (youngest is my 14yo daughter) and they certainly know about both alcohol and pot. We aren't a family that does either of those things regularly (dad might have a beer when we're socializing once in a while), but we have new neighbors downstairs who apparently enjoy pot because our bedroom smells like pot at least once a day at the same time (anyone have suggestions for how to combat that smell from downstairs???). The first time I smelled it, I walked in and my daughter said, "that smells like what the kids smoke in the field behind the school. Pretty sure it's pot, mom." Yep, pretty sure you're right.

So I do think it makes sense to treat it and talk about it just like you would any other legal substances, with the added info that it's not legal in all states/regions. And I agree with Diana Holbrook- if your daughter is 14, chances are pretty darn good she knows what pot is already and the shops and signs have been around long enough that she probably doesn't think about them as much as you might. I certainly knew what pot was before I was 11, and I grew up when it wasn't legal anywhere and I never indulged in it (and my friends didn't, either- to my knowledge).

[pnwguy2]

Much ado about nothing, IMO. Pot ads are new, so yes they are uncomfortable for many. But, as Homes said, they are different, and again new. But they have more similarities than differences. The alcohol argument is totally appropriate for pot. When I grew up, Alcohol was always presented as "an adult" drink. The same should be said about legal pot. It is an adult "smoke", though smoking regular tobacco is also an "adult" smoke. So, indeed there is that weird difference. Non-alcohol drinks...generally good or benign. All smoking...bad.

[Ira500]

it's fine to have the talk, but keep in mind that what you say might have the opposite of the desired effect. When I was 10, they showed a little newsreel in school about Haight Ashbury, all about the pot smoking hippies who were listening to music like the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. The intent of the film was to turn us off to that lifestyle, but it sure made me want to smoke pot and listen to the Grateful Dead. Just don't come on too strong.

[homesinseattle]

Well said, Ira.

[mufc1878]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

CapBat, although I agree with you in principle, alcohol and pot (whether right or wrong) are viewed differently in society. So no, it's different.

no - it isn't. that's you conforming to society's wrong outlook on the matter. You can use this opportunity to educate a new generation so when she is an adult, society is different instead of continuing to perpetuate the same biases.

[mjdboulder]

I would say it's an opportunity to give her a lesson on why marijuana has been illegal, about alcohol prohibition and when it was legalized, and that both can be abused as they are both drugs. I would explain it the same way I would explain alcohol. Even though society sees it differently now doesn't mean you can't teach your kids that they are the same thing, and should be responsible about it.

[kubli]

Some of these comments...just smh.



"Just like cigarettes, though, it can cause cancer and makes people kind of slow witted if they use it for awhile."


"They understand that people can be very boring when they're high and you're not."

[wutitiz]

The best thing to do IMO is just lead by example. It has an effect, even though the kid might not be willing to admit this. Growing up, neither of my parents smoked, drank, or used drugs, and when I turned 18, I chose to do likewise. I did use drugs in high school, but quit everything at about age 18.


I think there's a case for regulation of signage. I always used to say that strip clubs should be able to operate legally, as long as there's no garish neon "Live Nude Girls" sign that parents have to explain to kids as they drive by. What goes on inside is no one's business, but outside is a different matter.

[Akama13]

It never occurred to me this would be a difficult topic, just like alcohol isn't.