Today I was coming out of Starbuck’s with my decaf Americano and go to get in my car. In the car parked next to me, are a girl and boy. I don’t think they are 21 but I pause getting in because I see the girl putting “away” a bong. I look at them with a kind of “now I’m a Mom” look of “what the hell are you doing”? Then I realize, wait marijuana is now legal in this state. I think about this for a minute as I get into my car and remember, it is but you have to be 21. I’m thinking these kids aren’t 21, but maybe I’m wrong. I don’t judge younger ages as well as I used to. Still, they shouldn’t be doing that then driving. That I know is illegal. But what do I do? Nothing. I called the police once after e-cigarettes were a thing to tell the dispatcher that I saw someone driving and smoking what appeared to be an illicit substance but of course was questioned if it wasn’t just an e-cigarette. At the time I said something like, “I think I know the difference. I went to college after all.” Looking back on that now, I feel pretty dumb. Maybe it was an e-cigarette, though I really don’t think it was. Now with marijuana legal, I’ll have to step back on my civic duty I suppose.
Look I get people taking it for medicinal reasons or even at home for fun. I just don’t really want kids driving around with water pipes smoking outside of Starbuck’s. I know there is a 20 foot limit, but what about next to my car when my eight-year-old is with me? I’m already trying to figure out how to address drugs and alcohol as a parenting topic. Not to put the fear of God in her, but hopefully, avoid opiates? How does one parent through this stuff? How do you tell a kid now that marijuana is legal but not something you should do at least until you are older?
My parents didn’t really talk to me about this sort of thing. Alcohol, drugs, sex, dating were all topics I had to learn on my own. The only guidance was “no sex until marriage”. I know how well that went, so I’d really like to be able to have an open conversation with my child. I also don’t want to scare the bejezus out of her. Right now she is naive, and I’d like to hold onto that as long as possible. I don’t want her to be ignorant though, and I don’t want her to just learn from her friends. Not that her friends aren’t nice people, I’d just like a sliver of input if at all possible.
Now I’m off to Google it, though strictly relying upon the internet for this topic seems not terribly unlike smoking pot in front of a Starbuck’s. Not the best idea.