In a state where pot is still 100% Illegal??

I live in PA, and im pretty sure we still have some of the harshest penalties for possession of all the states in the commonwealth. However, decriminalization is heading its way across the states and may not be here in the too distant future (5-7 years?). My wife and myself have 2 kids (3 and 5), and we are indeed smokers. We do not smoke cigarettes, and when our children inquire about cigarettes we do the right thing and tell them they are literally the worst thing possible to ever put in your body. There is absolutely no good point to tobacco except its safer to smoke than poison oak i guess.

Now, when they were younger and would inquire about what we were smoking we would tell them cigarettes. I guess it made sense at the time but i like being honest with people especially my kids. Actually i still call it cigarettes, or cigars now that i think of it. I Guess im still paranoid of maybe them being in school and saying "Weed, Pot, Ganja" Etc, and next thing u know im at a meeting lookin at 5 people from school asking me whatsup. And i would be forced to be brutally honest with them....I dont see anything wrong with my kids knowing what it is, what it does, what it looks like, what the unburned beautiful flowers look like, etc.

I dont want my kids growing up thinking i was lying to them for no reason, because to be completely honest id rather my kid smoke a joint when he/she is "Experimenting" than light up any kind of tobacco product at all. I smoked cigarettes for a long time, up to 2 packs a day but ive quit as of a year and a half ago or so.....and its the best thing ive ever done. Im not saying they should be illegal, people have their rights but i wouldnt want my kid smoking tobacco.

I dont know anyone personally from Cali, or any other Decrimmed state or anyone else with kids so i have nothing to go on....im wondering what your views are....

Be honest with your kids

or

Lie to your kids because it is technically "Against the law"

Gee that is a tough one,, I too was in your shoes,, me smoking pot was never an issue with my kids because we never made it into an issue,, but them going to school and what they are taught in school is another story. I too was always honest with my kids up until I had to hide it when they reached a certain age, There was a program they had in school for the kids called DARE. It was run by the cops, they were taught that pot was as bad as the horrid hard chemicals. They were also taught that if they knew of anyone who smoked pot it was ok to tell on them, that included the parents,, It was then for the first time, I had to hide what I was doing around my kids,,, Later when they got older things went back to normal though,, I would say that you will do the right thing, with time it will come to you what and how you will handle things... I wish I had an answer for you but it is maybe a personal thing,,, You hate to lie or keep things from your kids, but you also can't put them in the middle of what is wrong and right,, and that is what the system does,, kids are just too young to deal with such things.... Good Luck and blessings to you and your family on this tough issue

__________________

I'm right there with you. I think when they get to the age to go to school or at least understand(there is a lot to understand...) then I would tell them the truth. but I think many people are telling their kids they are smoking cigs rather than Cannabis but thats one step closer than we were 20 years ago when I was a child. my parents smoked but woudn't even dare smoke in front of me. and my parents parents didn't smoke because they thought they'd kill somebody because of Reefer Madness. My 1 child is not old enough to ask questions but I couldn't imagine lying to him. But I think to keep yourself safe and honest at the same time, don't tell your children what is in the ciggerate you are smoking? Just my 2 cents!

Good Luck!!

__________________

Do you know if you can ask to have your kids taken out of "DARE" to keep them from the lies without being questioned? I don't even want my kid in school but i have a wife that loves the lies she was told in school. She's the boss..

__________________

It's a shame we can't be honest with our kids some times but be safe there are many examples of what Deb said have happened. Then, they might just take your kids!

Last year when I got to the sickest point my wife and I asked my family GP about med marijuana. I got the paperwork and got legal. (short version) We had a 17 yr old son in high school and he was old enough to understand why, what, where, when and how he is part of the confidence that keeps us safe even though we are legal we still face the potential of violence or crimes against us from it.

Be careful with young children they can be influenced by other care takers or cops into turning you in. IMO.

__________________

I taught my kids at home about the bad in drugs and pot was not one of them,, so needless to say, when they came out with that program I too wanted to take them right out of the program, But what do you do when all the other kids are in it and yes I would of been put under the suspicion list... I just don't have the answers,, I just know, my kids and I made it threw those years without them being scared, when it was right I taught them my ways and they are just fine adults,, crazy like mom of course,,lol

__________________

I feel for you marcoze...Thats a tough one dude.

Here is a childs book dealing with this matter.

It's Just a Plant - a children’s book about marijuana

I myself have two youngins in my home 19 Months and 4 years...I will have to cross this road shortly with my 4 year old since she has just started kindergarten.

Luckily in my situation I live in a state that has legal exemptions for cultivation and consumption for medical use...but even though I am legal I still worry about how to approach this subject...I dont worry about being prosecuted so much as I do about having my child alienated because some teacher dosent approve of my choice of medicine.

It's a touchy subject...atleast to some..I too am interested in hearing feed back from other on how to approch this.

I wish you the best of luck dude.

CAM-

__________________
"Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it."
— Mark Twain

"You've gotta be outta your mind not to smoke dope"
-Jack Herer

I don't think a kid that age would turn on their parents. Now that I think about it I loved DARE in school. We got to take a break from all the BS work and just Goof off and talk about drugs and learn alittle about them. Thats where I first saw marijuana. and my wife said where she is from they lit up a joint in her classroom to show the kids what it smelled like. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. but like Deb said we need to explain to our kids the truth before the Leaders(Schools) have a chance to teach them false facts about not only drugs but cannabis. I'm taking 15mg of hydrocodone and 20 mg of diazapam a day and its killing my liver. but I can't smoke the harmless plant from mother nature. **** DARE!!!




Sorry I got off track somewhere. What I was trying to say is "Talk to your children" communicate!! You have more influence over your Children than anybody.

Good thread, Thanks for putting it up!!

__________________

We have had this subject come up before and there is a great book to explain it to kids. The premise for this book is that it is for adults, and not kids, but basically, it is just a plant.

It's Just a Plant In the book it explains how the law can have a different viewpoint, that MMJ can also be a medicine...how to be quiet about it and what it does. That it is like medicine, and kids don't just take adults medicine. This is done in a way easily understood by kids and gives them a clear, concise idea of what it entails. When the book first came out there was a huge hugh and cry about it all.

But basically, it all breaks down to...It's Just a Plant....

Hope this helps.

Peace

__________________
Life,
j-angel

aka GP purrie kittie attack cat!


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

My Little Grow Indoor To Outdoor 2009

LOL! Cam, you where faster than I was! Good Job!

Peace

__________________
Life,
j-angel

aka GP purrie kittie attack cat!


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

My Little Grow Indoor To Outdoor 2009

I too am a gradate of the great D.A.R.E Program, however by the time i had reached D.A.R.E Classes i was already smoking pot. I was raised on the notion that if it grows from the ground, if i can take a seed, and then use the product that comes from watering, and tending to that plant that it is alright.

Now to the people who say "Well what about cocaine, heroin they come from the ground"..........youre wrong. Cocaine and Heroin are the byproduct of processing perfectly fine plants with harsh harsh chemicals then using another chemical to bind the agents processed out of the plant back into a useable form. Plus its near impossible to consume a fatal amount or even get "Whacked out" from any type of raw consumption.

My daughter is 5, and already is smart beyond her years. She understands things that most 5 year olds have no clue about. Sometimes she explains the workings of tasks, or objects in a way that ive only seen professors break something down to that kind of level. Maybe im being naive because shes mine.....but either way. She wont see a D.A.R.E Class till shes about 13 thats 8 years of being taught the RIGHT thing, the facts. I personally figure that if she is taught the FACTS from the start there will be no issues with substance abuse in the future....or at least less of a chance.

A way of teaching her my way would be to say, Cocaine is BAD. 100% BAD. Conversely, a Coca plant is GOOD. There is nothing wrong with a plant, bush, tree, etc. If you can plant the seed, its fine. You want to grow a Coca plant from a seed and then chew a leaf to get some kind of energy? go ahead. But you want to sniff a line of an unknown substance with less than 5% average core product? Youre done.

To top it off, its a PHARM filled world out there. Im from a major city and in the past ten years there is NOTHING that outsells anything on the street with the Prefix Oxy or Hydro (Not water grown plants). You can stand on a corner in my city and have green all day, but hit that same spot with 5mg Percocets and youre out in 20 mins. (Not condoning selling anything on a corner im just giving an example). My kid could conceivably break her/his arm in ten-twelve years and get prescribed some kind of pill thats more addicting and more taxing on your body than any other substance.

Its a messed up society out there, and its messed up because of misinformation at the root of our judicial system.

I agree...I am way close to my kids and it's evident that they love me with the hugs and kisses I get all day...But I worry about the unintentional slip of the tongue rather than them turning on me.

__________________
"Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it."
— Mark Twain

"You've gotta be outta your mind not to smoke dope"
-Jack Herer

Exactly, about 6 months ago i was standing at my dining room table early in the morning getting breakfast ready for my kids and i felt like i was going to throw up as i usually do so i pulled out my pocket pipe and bag, lit up as normal and next thing i hear my daughter say "Hey daddy i know what thats called", so i said "Oh yeah? What is it then"..........well as soon as the last syllable rolled off my tongue she responded with the Correct Answer (lol) "Weed".

I didnt know what to do at that second so i responded with "Woah woah woah, youre right that is what it is however you have to call it cigarettes"

ever since that day, ive only heard it called cigarettes.

And its not like she hasnt seen it since that day, she sees it/is around it every day of her existance. She hasnt been told what it does for people or me in particular but she sees me vomiting unstoppably then smoke and stop vomiting. So i guess that association probobly does something as far as teaching her maybe not directly but subconsciously.

I saw the man Promoting that book on 2 different shows and he got smashed both times. he was saying it was for kids and adults. None of the hosts on any of the shows like the idea of a marijuana book for children.

__________________

i am defenitly getting a copy of that book.

and Dr. Eden in there looks like shes a fan of other naturally occouring substances such as psilocybin hahaha.

Yeah man...I saw him on Bill O'reilly...not that I watch him...but I did that day. I bet Ricardo could have held his own had that nazi O'reilly allowed him to speak...but Bill being true to his jackass persona cut him off every time he open his mouth...I think of the book as a tool for parents to educate their children rather than a childs book...but thats just my perception...not that it's wrong or right...it's just mine=)

__________________
"Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it."
— Mark Twain

"You've gotta be outta your mind not to smoke dope"
-Jack Herer

D.A.R.E. = Drugs Are Really Expensive

__________________
Charlie

....leave it to you sweetie! Love you!