Doctors, experts urge caution as some moms say marijuana makes them better parents
Some moms have shared about their marijuana use online.
Some moms say using marijuana makes them better parents, but experts are urging caution when using cannabis around children.
Moms like Rachel Gibbs, a content creator in Texas, share their experiences on social media, with some calling themselves "canna moms" or "garden moms." Videos tagged with those terms have picked up millions of views across social media platforms.
"We're not doing this to escape," Gibbs told ABC News. "We're not doing this to be bad moms. We're not doing this to get away from our kids. We're using this as a tool."
Using cannabis can impact multiple parts of the body, and how it affects someone is based on various factors, including frequency of use and mode of intake, such as smoking, vaping or mixed into foods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cannabis use can impact the health of one's heart, brain, and lungs, as well as impair coordination and driving.
Addiction specialists caution that marijuana and cannabis should not be considered a harmless substance or a safer alternative to alcohol.
"Alcohol and marijuana both impair reaction time," Dr. Lief Fenno, chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Addiction Psychiatry, told ABC News. "They impair decision making. And if someone is taking charge of the care of a young child or some children, they may need to engage in lifesaving care, make emergency decisions, operate a motor vehicle safely, and the regular use of marijuana before engaging in those behaviors can impair your ability to do so."
Gibbs said cannabis helps her check into motherhood and quiets the static in her head.
"It almost like, turns the background noise off," said Gibbs. "I'm not zoned out. I'm not in the fridge all day long. I'm not just like sleeping on the couch. My kids aren't running around -- like, that's not it."
The mom of two said using marijuana has greatly benefited her parenting of her 3-year-old and 5-year-old kids.
"I can get down on their level," Gibbs said. "I have more patience. It's calmed the nerves down, it's calmed the fight or flight [response]. It's now in 'freeze' and 'let's work it through together' [mode], like we're on the same team."
Other moms agree that marijuana use has benefited their parenting.
"I know a lot of people hold shame, and I'm here to take that out of it. Gardening makes me a better parent," a mom named Amy shared in a TikTok video last year.
Gibbs said she uses cannabis four to five times a week and insists she implements strict rules around its use in her home.
"If I am using cannabis, there is another adult home," said Gibbs. "I'm never driving under the influence, ever. We do not ever have, like, actual cannabis out around our children. They do not see it."
Data from the latest available National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that more than 64 million Americans have used cannabis in the past year. The CDC also estimates approximately 3 in 10 people have cannabis use disorder.
ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Tara Narula said research into cannabis use is still limited but some suggest it may not impart all the benefits some users claim.
"Cannabis is not medicine. We don't have the rigorous trials we do for FDA-approved medications. We don't really have the science to understand the benefits and the harms," Narula said. "The most latest research study we have is actually from this past year that looked at cannabis in its relationship to mental health disorders, and it was a big review -- 50 studies that were out there -- and they did not find any benefit in terms of anxiety, PTSD, or psychotic disorders."
When deciding on cannabis use, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends adults over 21 not use it in front of children to avoid normalizing substance use, not smoking near children to minimize the effects of secondhand smoke, and keeping any cannabis or marijuana products locked and out of reach from children.
The AAP also says people under 21 should not use cannabis.
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