It's just a plant -- introducing marijuana to kids
Categories: Just for moms, Just for dads, Alcohol & drugs, That's entertainment
There is plenty of info out there about talking to your kids about drugs -- if you're completely opposed to recreational drug use. A lot of people, however, understand that marijuana is not the same as heroin or methamphetamines. In fact, one could easily argue that smoking pot is far less destructive and dangerous than either smoking tobacco cigarettes or drinking alcohol.So what do you do if you, as a parent, have smoked marijuana in the past -- or even do so currently? Do you 'fess up and hope kids can understand that different drugs are, well different? Or do you fail to mention your use and just say no? Whichever way you go, traditional thinking would be that you portray your own drug use as a gross mistake and hope your children see the error of your ways.
That's not the only answer, however. What if people treated pot the way they do alcohol? What if parents explained that pot is for grown-ups only and that once they reach adulthood, they can decide whether or not to try it? Well, if that sounds like the healthy, logical way to go, there is help out there for you.
Just a Plant is a children's book that introduces children to marijuana. It tells the story of a young girl who stumbles upon her parents smoking a joint one evening after bedtime. The next day, the mother takes the daughter out for the day to teach her about the drug. They visit a farmer, doctor, and various other characters on their journey of discovery.
Now, before you worry that this is going to encourage children to rush right out and score some ganja, the book explicitly teaches that marijuana is for adults only, "Like driving a car or drinking a glass of wine. You can make a choice to try it or not when you are an adult."
Personally, I've never tried marijuana (or other recreational drugs) and have never had any interest in doing so, but I also don't think it's such a bad thing. I've certainly seen first hand that other, more acceptable drugs -- alcohol, especially -- are more destructive. If you are a parent who feels similarly, this book might be worth checking into.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Meagan 4-25-2008 @ 11:19AM
WOW are you going to get flamed on this one. Personally I think pot is less harmful than any drug I can think of and less dangerous (for the user AND the people around them) than either tobacco or alcohol. That said I'm a little surprised that there's no mention of the fact that it's, you know, illegal. Does the book really not get into the possible legal consequences of using pot... at any age? Saying that it's "just for adults" isn't really enough if you ask me, simply because I know people who've been arrested for possession and it's taken a whole lot more seriously than underage drinking or smoking. I won't say it can ruin your life, but it certainly puts a dent on your record.
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Meagan 4-25-2008 @ 11:35AM
After checking out the book online it looks like they do broach the fact that it's illegal, but I'm still skeptical. I've always thought it was stupid that marijuana was illegal, but I'm not sure how good an idea it is to have a conversation about how some laws are stupid with a kid young enough to be reading a picture book. Seems like it would just be confusing. I say save it for when they're a bit older, maybe pre-teen, and able to understand that not all issues are black and white.
Though I am seriously tempted to find a conservative having a baby and get them the book as a gag gift.
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JenniferW 4-25-2008 @ 11:59AM
Okay, I'm pretty darn liberal but HOLY COW!!! This book is wrong on so many levels! First off, what happens when the little girl tells the cop that mom and dad smoke pot (um bc that's what kids too tell everything at the wrong time)? Are her parents going to go to jail like the black men against the wall? Or how about when CPS comes to their house bc the girl tells everyone at school? Maybe when the farmer goes to jail for growing it, she can visit him in jail too!
Of course, the parents can always put the grown up responsibility of LYING for her parents on her. I'm pretty sure explaining why it's okay to do this illegal act vs doing something else illegal is going to be the next book. Lastly, what's bugging me is that the parents were not just doing something illegal, but they expose their kid to the smoke. Why don't we just all smoke WITH our kids instead of getting them high with second hand smoke...oh wait...there's this book I can give them instead. I feel sick this book is even out there making it okay for parents to justify their illegal actions.
How about writing a book about changing the laws to make pot legal since they want to smoke it?
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Keri 4-25-2008 @ 3:23PM
Everyone, keep something in mind...depending on your state, cops don't arrest people for possessing just a small amount of marijuana. As long as the parents keep their stash under the legal limit, nobody is going to do anything if the kid spills the beans.
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Meagan 4-25-2008 @ 4:06PM
Keri I'd be curious about what states don't arrest you for owning "under the legal limit." I was under the impression that anything under the legal limit was a misdemeanor and anything over was a felony. And isn't growing it illegal everywhere in the US? Even in places where it's not an arrestable offense I'd be really surprised if SOMETHING bad didn't happen from kids going around talking about Mom and Dad smoking up. Any kind of drug use has such a stigma that even if it doesn't stick child endangerment charges have got to be a reality.
That said, on the Amazon site it lists the recommended age for the book as 9-12. I guess that means they recognize that the topic might be kind of a tricky one for young kids, but personally, I was done with picture books by the time I was seven or eight.
Mel 4-25-2008 @ 4:08PM
Under the legal limit? Um, there is abolsutely no legal limit for marijuana. There are people who have even been convicted for possession of RESIDUE. Marijuana is illegal, period. I understand that you have been misinformed, but it is important to verify such info before disseminating it.
**I have heard that at least one state allows medicinal marijuana, for which one must have a valid prescription. Obviously, there would be a "legal limit" in that state if you have a prescription.
Meagan 4-25-2008 @ 4:16PM
Not exactly Mel... in some places it's been "decriminalized" which means owning under a certain amount is considered a misdemeanor and does not create a criminal record (it's like a speeding ticket). Here's a resource I found, dunno how accurate it is but I know that in Oregon, at least when I lived there, possession of a certain amount was only a misdemeanor. http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516
Mel 4-25-2008 @ 4:23PM
Meagan, misdemeanors DO create a criminal record, at least in my state. Perhaps they do not create a criminal record per se in some states, but they are kept on record and can have implications for employment, bar admissions, other prosecutions, etc.
Also, I never said that possession of marijuana is a felony. I do not know how each state classifies it. I said that it was *illegal.* Keri implied that there is some kind of threshhold below which possession is legal. That is NOT true, except in a state which recognizes medicinal use. In all other states, marijuana is illegal. Whether it is felonious or not, I'm not sure. But certainly, it's illegal. Period.
Meagan 4-25-2008 @ 4:25PM
And Keri, yeah you're probably right, if the only penalty is a fine somewhere, I guess they wouldn't arrest you? Probably just a citation...? I still think it's kind of a tricky issue to be dealing with with small children. Like Jennifer I was pretty bothered by the illustration of the father speaking to his little girl with a blunt held in his hand.
Meagan 4-25-2008 @ 4:28PM
Keri didn't actually say it wasn't illegal, she said you couldn't get arrested for it. And from the looking online I've done, no, in the areas it's been "decriminalized", it does NOT create a criminal record. That's why it's called decriminalized. I really don't think you should criticize people for distributing false information when you clearly don't know the facts yourself.
the goddess anna 4-25-2008 @ 4:13PM
Isn't it legal in Canada (in small amounts)? Just wondering.
My mom smoked pot when I was growing up. I had little problem with that. I don't indulge, nor would I encourage my kids to do so, but there are worse (and legal) things in the world.
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Mel 4-25-2008 @ 4:36PM
This was Keri's original statement:
"As long as the parents keep their stash under the legal limit, nobody is going to do anything if the kid spills the beans."
This is wholly misleading. "Decriminalization" does not mean that "nobody is going to do anything." In fact, someone WILL do something. Such as impose a fine. Or community service. Or involve CPS. Decriminalization merely means no jail. This does NOT mean that there are no other consequences. Keri said quite plainly that there are no consequences as long as the amount is small. In most states, there is some type of consequence. There just is. I agree that many states will not impose a prison sentence for simple possession, but they do impose other consequences.
I am not expert in marijuana law. I do not know each and every piece of legal minutae for each and every state. I am simply stating that it is ILLEGAL. I am not stating that it is a criminal act. I am not stating that one will be thrown in jail. I am saying that it is ILLEGAL. Keri made it sound like marijuana laws are not enforced, and that there are never any consequences for possession. This just isn't accurate, and I wanted to warn others not to rely on it. Beyond simply stating that it is illegal, I don't claim to know much about it.
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Meagan 4-25-2008 @ 4:43PM
Your concern is touching. Fortunately I doubt anyone will go buy a bunch of marijuana based on something they read on ParentDish.
Mel 4-25-2008 @ 4:51PM
Wow, Meagan, I don't know what I did to get your panties in a bunch. I too doubt that anyone's going to *directly* rely on Keri's info, but we all repeat what we hear, and someone, somewhere may wrongly believe that marijuana is legally safe. I simply wanted to halt the spread of inaccurate information.
Meagan 4-25-2008 @ 4:59PM
You just bring out the best in me I guess.
Jen 4-25-2008 @ 5:27PM
In Oregon you get busted for having a joint and you get a under $100 ticket, no court date, no record. Just like a traffic ticket.
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Keri 4-25-2008 @ 7:46PM
Ok, what I meant by "legal limit" was that if anyone possessed over a certain amount, the police would arrest you. Under that, it depends on the police-they will either take the stash and send you on your way or give you a ticket or give you a misdemeanor charge but they *cannot* charge you with a felony. Also, if you grow your own marijuana, I think you won't be charged with a felony if you have under 3 plants. That's my understanding of the law here in Vermont. I could be entirely wrong. It's very similar to Amsterdam. According to the lawbooks there, marijuana *is* illegal but the police tolerate it. It's sort of the same here for just small amounts. If everyone received a felony for just a teeny bit amount of marijuana, it would be ridiculous because so many people here in Vermont use marijuana. That would be money better spent on our education system.
I am *not* endorsing marijuana in any way since I don't use it but it does bother me that this substance is illegal when alcohol is much more destructive and dangerous. Even cigs are worse than marijuana. Just my two cents.
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JenniferW 4-25-2008 @ 10:30PM
Actually the second hand smoke from marijuana is worse than the smoke from cigarettes. Since neither cigs or alcohol is illegal, I'm pretty sure that's irrelevant. Also, CPS can get involved and remove your children from the home when you fail your drug test for endangering your children.
This book is giving parents a way to condone illegal behavior. Whether cops 'give you a pass' or not, the law says it is not allowed. Period.
And smoking pot affects people differently and it is NOT harmless! It causes a chemical reaction in the brain which alters your thought process. I'm pretty sure that means you are not at 100% when you are parenting children after you smoke a joint/blunt/bowl. I'm sorry but I do not agree that smoking pot is less destructive than cigs or alcohol.
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JenniferW 4-25-2008 @ 10:33PM
Lastly, if the problem is that it's illegal why not work to change the laws, either against cigs or alcohol or for pot, instead of writing a book about why it should be okay to break the law as long as we keep it a secret.
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Missy 4-28-2008 @ 7:13PM
Personally, I found out when I was about 11 that my parents smoked pot. I tried it a couple times and just thought it wasn't for me. I'm not saying the book is a *great* idea but i do believe you should talk to your kids about it and not in a negative way.
Remember that when pre-teens and teens get told no, they usually do it anyway to go against you. It's natural.
Oh and I fully agree that alcohol is more destructive then pot. I know plenty of pot-smokers and then some alcoholics, and I would rather HAND my child weed then have them start consistently drinking.
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