Having access to medical cannabis helps mothers be more present parents, increases their patience with their children, and enables them to better manage their own health needs, according to the results of a study funded by the New Zealand government.
The study, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review, was based on interview answers from 15 women from New Zealand who had children between the ages of 4 and 18.
The respondents were interviewed about their experiences using cannabis as a mother. They reported being concerned about potential reprisals they may face if they are known to access cannabis from the grey market, such as being labelled a ‘bad mother’ and losing custody of their children.
All of the participants in the New Zealand study identified as a woman, were over the age of 16, and had used medicinal cannabis, cannabis from the grey market, or both in the past 12 months. After an initial screening participants attended a structured interview where the researchers probed them on 25 set topics linking cannabis to health and wellbeing and others.
“Mothers reported MC [medical cannabis] as an important facilitator of their ability to positively parent their children,” the study said, “enabling them to manage their own health needs (i.e., anxiety, endometriosis and arthritis).”
Researchers said that previous research into cannabis use and motherhood has focused on the potential harms associated with breastfeeding and pregnant women, with few studies investigating the potential positive effects cannabis could have on health and wellbeing.
“Mothers consumed MC to relieve their physical health symptoms such as spasms, aching, and cramps. Without the distraction of pain, they believed they could be more present for their children and attend to their needs,” the researchers wrote.
“Similarly, mothers with mental health and mood conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder felt MC made them calmer, more relaxed and less overwhelmed, which in turn aided their ability to communicate and better connect with their children.”
The study highlighted that many of the women interviewed said they avoided consumption around their children, reserving cannabis for use “for the evening or nighttime after completing their parental duties or when their children had gone to bed.”
As well as practising responsible consumption, the study reported that respondents attempted to normalise medical cannabis through “empowering conversations” with their children in three ways.
Firstly, the mothers classified cannabis as a medicine in the same category as their other medication. Others felt it was important to talk about the therapeutic properties of cannabis to their children in a positive way, highlighting how it benefitted them and how society may have an outdated or negative view of cannabis. All respondents reported that they felt hiding their medical cannabis use would “contribute to the stigma and leave room for their children to make the wrong assumptions.”
While the sample size was small, the study ‘provided insights into MC use among mothers, highlighting perceived therapeutic benefits for managing the unique stressors of motherhood and health and wellbeing in general,” authors wrote in conclusion. “The findings illustrate the global legalisation of MC as a possible catalyst for shifting attitudes towards cannabis use in parenting, and a trend of women exercising agency in their health using complementary alternative therapies.”
“As the global MC landscape evolves and women grow as a key demographic, future research should further investigate the nuances and complexities of mothers seeking and using MC and the impacts of MC use on parenting.”
