Smoking marijuana is what helps a mother-of-two be a better parent and wife — and she’s totally fine with that.
Caitlin Fladager, a social media influencer, has been smoking pot for the past nine months to manage her anxiety. The married 25-year-old from Abbotsford, British Columbia, only partakes after her children ages 4 and 6, go to sleep; however, recently, she gets criticized for her decision, which she addressed in an Instagram post this week.
“Yes, I have two kids. Yes, I smoke weed daily,” wrote Fladager in the post with a photo of her smoking a joint. “It’s so funny to me how frowned upon marijuana is. No one looks twice when a mom says she enjoys ‘mom juice’ a.k.a. wine, after her kids are in bed. But when a mom says she smokes weed, it’s a huge shock.”
Acting on a desire is to raise awareness, Fladager shared why the drug helps her parent. “I have never been the most patient with my two kids,” she wrote. “Weed makes me a better mom, as I get a good night sleep after I smoke. I wake up well rested, and with a more clear mind.”
Fladager also said that her anxiety, formerly sky-high, has been “so much better” since she picked up the habit, helping her get to a healthy size after being “dangerously underweight,” and even replacing her medication and dependency on alcohol.
”Marijuana is my glass of wine. It’s my can of beer. It’s my relaxation time,” concluded Fladager in her post. “You can still be a kick ass mom, and smoke weed.”
Fladager tells Yahoo Lifestyle that in Canada (which legalized recreational marijuana in 2018, per the New York Times), a recent line of questioning from school parents motivated her to open up.
“I talk about my smoking openly and I recommend it when someone mentions they’re stressed,” she says. “Younger parents usually have no problem with it, but some tell me that I have a drug problem and that marijuana is a gateway drug.” (According to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, many people who use marijuana do not necessarily graduate to other drugs; however, some findings suggest otherwise.)
For her severe anxiety, a condition that caused Fladager to pick at her skin, she tried CBD oil, which is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (with the exception of one drug used for a rare form of epilepsy). She also tried anti-depressants and mood stabilizers, but found that smoking weed was the most effective for her. “I don’t get behind the wheel after I smoke,” Fladager tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “and I’m not zoned out on the couch with snacks, either.” She adds that she smokes multiple times per week, and that her children have never seen her smoke pot.
Fladager’s five-year marriage has also improved since she picked up the habit, telling Yahoo Lifestyle that she and her husband, who welcomed their first child when they were 17 and 19 years old respectively, argue less. “He worries about my anxiety and the negativity that comes with Instagram posts like this,” she says. “But I am a better wife to him now, because I am happier and don’t pick fights like before.”
According to a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of Americans believe that marijuana should be legal, with 32 percent in opposition (compared to 52 percent in 2010). Specifically, 91 percent say pot should be allowed for medicinal and recreational use, with 32 percent favoring solely medicinal usage.
Annie Bertrand, who, two years ago, founded the Facebook support group Mother’s Mary with her best friend Jordana Zabitsky, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that many of the 3,600 members who use the group for support and resources are stigmatized — particularly when treating postpartum depression or anxiety.
“People say, ‘You’re an unfit mom’ or that if you’re depressed in the first place, you shouldn’t have had children,” Bertrand tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “We guide them toward resources so they feel comfortable despite the stigma.”
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