POT-SMOKING PARENTS SHOULD BE ASHAMED

I moved to B.C. when I was 18. Until then, I had never seen marijuana.
Really. Not at school, dances, or at the 24-hour doughnut shop.

Maybe little Wawa just wasn't a pot-producing sort of town, or perhaps
I was just too ignorant to take notice.

I couldn't help but notice it when I came out west. The stuff was
everywhere - clubs, ball parks, barbecue parties. People heralded B.C.
as the pot capital of Canada. I was even told that the province's
product had won awards at marijuana competitions in Amsterdam. Forget
the Olympics - we've got medals for marijuana. Now there's something
to be proud of.

All jokes aside, there are certain things we can't be proud of -
things that I see happening on a regular basis. I'm pretty sure most
parents wouldn't be proud of smoking pot, but unfortunately this
doesn't apply to all moms and dads. I'm talking about the parents who
sneak into the bushes after a softball game to smoke up, or do it at
home when the kids are out of sight or fast asleep. I wonder what
these people do if their child asks questions, or smells it, or
stumbles upon the drug. Do they lie?

If the child-rearing experts, as well as old-fashioned common sense,
are right - children learn from example. So, do these parents want
their kids growing up to be sneaking, lying, law-breaking
pot-smokers?

A recent survey in B.C. showed that 50 per cent of Grade 8 to 12
students have tried marijuana at least once in the past year, and by
Grade 8, 34 per cent have already tried it (Prevention - Source BC).
I'm sure I'm not the only one that finds these statistics disturbing.

The marijuana advocates and their lame government conspiracy theories
don't impress me in the least. They accuse the powers-that-be of
feeding the public with false information, yet they're guilty of the
same. They spread their pro-pot propaganda at every possible
opportunity. If the government is filling young heads with anti-pot
horror stories, then kudos to them.

Anyone with a fog-free head on his/her shoulders knows that pot isn't
good for you. Unlike alcohol or caffeine that gets peed out when it's
finished doing its job (or damage), the elusive chemical THC sticks
around. That's right, it clings on to the body's fatty tissue, found
in breasts and testicles and around brain cells. Doesn't that sound
appealing? Heavy users can count on it staying around for years, even
if they quit.

I won't even entertain arguments that pit marijuana against caffeine
and alcohol. Let's face it, a six-pack of beer or a pot of coffee
isn't going to have the Ministry of Children and Families knocking on
your door. But your child telling his teacher that you smoke pot all
the time, well, that might elicit a more serious response - and
deservedly so.

One mother I spoke to said that pot was her alternative to Prozac.
Every day, before she leaves the house, she smokes up. She has a
four-year-old daughter. What do the pro-marijuana people have to say
about that? Is it OK for a mother to depend on marijuana to be able to
function every day?

Life is stressful and people find relief and pleasure in different
ways. If pot is your way to "let go" then so be it. But if you have
kids and you're sneaking around, getting your high in when you can,
then you ought to be ashamed.

Maybe this condemning attitude of mine puts me at risk of ostracizing
myself from pot-smoking parents. At this point, they may be thinking
I'm a pretentious, nagging prude. That's fine with me. It can't be any
worse than what I think of them.