Now that California is moving forward on legalizing marijuana use, parents face a new series of potential concerns around cannabis use. How safe is it to use marijuana as a parent? How do you talk to your children about being careful with a drug many consider “safe”? The Cannifornian has assembled a special report that covers some of the topics parents may be most concerned about.

  • Cannabis and the teen brain: Key development stages require caution, doctors say

    • Research has shown that smoking cannabis is 114 times less lethal than drinking alcohol. The next most deadly substances after alcohol are heroin and cocaine,  followed by tobacco, Ecstasy and methamphetamine, according to the journal Scientific Reports. But just because it’s less deadly doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous, researchers say.

 

  • Talking to kids about marijuana when it becomes legal

    • How should parents talk to kids about a drug that is already widely available and now losing the stigma of being illegal, especially now that it has grown increasingly stronger, and thus more risky, over the years? Not all that differently than they are now, it seems. According to parents and experts interviewed, the key remains to arm yourself with as much information about the drug as you can, be realistic about what you expect, and keep the conversation open-ended.

 

  • Even in legal weed states, parents who consume pot can still lose custody of their kids

    • Hundreds of families are estimated to be facing custody issues in California over medical marijuana use. But they all got a glimmer of hope Nov. 8, when voters approved Proposition 64. Along with legalizing recreational marijuana, Prop. 64 adds some protections for medical marijuana patients. Among them: California courts can no longer rescind or restrict a parent’s custodial rights solely because they have recommendations for medical marijuana.

 

  • Cannabis quandary: Can pregnant women safely consume marijuana?

    • After two decades of allowing its medicinal use, California is now one of eight states that have legalized recreational marijuana for people 21 or older. Public health officials, however, say the implications surrounding its consumption by some people — like pregnant women and adolescents, who may be more vulnerable to its potential harmful effects —  still must be addressed.

 

  • With cannabis use growing, doctors still caution to keep kids away from secondhand smoke

    • With marijuana use exploding in line with a legalization movement sweeping the nation, many people are pitching cannabis as an all-natural medicine to help with medical conditions or a “safe” alternative to traditional intoxicants like alcohol. But scientists and doctors say things aren’t that simple — and a belief that exposing children to marijuana, either directly or indirectly, is harmless isn’t supported by the facts.