WHAT IS A “CANNAMOM”? by @highmommas

Hi, I'm Alexandra Suárez, a cannabis user since I was 19 and one of those "successful stoners" who at one point managed to balance having up to three jobs with cannabis use. I've always been a quasi-free spirit with a super structured life (what a contradiction, haha). I understood from a very young age that marriage and motherhood weren't in my plans, and I made peace with that.

At almost 35 years old I received the great surprise that I was pregnant, after panicking, I accepted that not everything in life works "according to plan" and so I decided to look for the positive side of the fact that I was soon going to be a mother.

There's always been a lot of stigma surrounding cannabis use, and even more so when it's during pregnancy. I asked my doctor about it, and her response was to use it responsibly… just like that!

As a new mother, I started reading about "women who smoke cannabis while pregnant," and everything I read ended up indicating that more research is needed to better understand how cannabis can affect you and your baby during pregnancy. Basically, I was back to square one with this vague information, so I decided to be responsible with my consumption (as advised by my doctor). I admit I felt incredibly guilty and judged for using cannabis while pregnant, so I decided to do it without telling anyone, without anyone seeing me—not even my son's father found out.

Cannabis was extremely helpful for me with nausea during pregnancy, with the severe pain I suffered from "round ligament pain" in the first trimester, and it was a cornerstone in being able to sleep and rest during those 9 months.

To the initial question, "What is a Cannamom or High Momma?" My answer is that a Cannamom or HM is a mother (biological or adoptive) who supports and enjoys the use of cannabis, whether medicinal or recreational, and who is actively trying to break the taboos and stigmas surrounding mothers who use cannabis in their daily lives.

Today my son is 6 years old (he turns 7 at the beginning of September) and I can say that we have an excellent relationship. Like everything, nothing in life is perfect and some days are better than others, but he is a happy child and as they say, “happy kid, happy mom”!

Cannabis has played an extremely important and ever-present role in this relationship. I'm a single mother with two jobs, a firm believer in not giving cell phones or electronics to young children (he only got his first DS at age 6), so using cannabis in my daily life helps me tremendously with my mood, fatigue, anxiety, and stress. It allows me to be a present mother, play with my son, build Legos, do puzzles, paint, and have real conversations.

Look forward to more on this topic in upcoming segments!

We're not your regular mom, we're High Mommas!!