A Child's Question about Pot...

Yesterday as I was rushing in preparation for the start of a new day my son David asked me a question. With curiosity and tinge of disbelief he asked, "Dad, did you know that some people smoke pot to cure their sicknesss?" I asked why he was bringing this up. He then told me about a scene from the movie "Step Mom". Susan Sarandon is a mother stricken with cancer who smokes pot to ease her pain. So, what would you tell your child who asked this question? I quietly said a prayer for guidance in the formation of my young lion cub. I took a breath, and went on. It's humbling, the trust our children place in us. I say that becuase I know I often mess up. First, I corrected David in his reading of the scene. Pot does not cure cancer or any other illness, it is sometimes taken to ease pain.

David has recently heard me raise a stink about all the pot clubs in our city and the third potential one in our neighborhood. So, he was asking how this issue relates to that conversation. I told him that I can't really answer the question in a final sort of way, but that the issue is a touchy one in our society. I then told him the pot club movement is an answer to the call for compassionate ways of helping people deal with suffering from certain diseases. We have a neighbor who uses it to deal with the pain from AIDS. They once invited us to bring the kids in to see their kittens and you could smell that distinct aroma. So much for discreetness. :)

Next we talked about addiction, I brought up the reality that people can be addicted to many things as means to escape problems and reality. Drugs, alcohol, pornography, food, realationships, shopping... We've talked about addictions several times, because of friends and relatives who are addicts. Addictions rule people. They become all consuming and eventually destructive. In this case the question to ask is why are you smoking pot? If it's just to get high, that's a waste of life (and brain cells). I don't know that there is a ligitimate reason for smoking it, but some of my friends in pain take it to make life more bearable. Am I trying to take it away? No, why would I? My goal in life is not to legilate the behavior of others. I'll let God be God.

It's not the last time we'll talk about drugs. He's about to enter middle school. I'm sure its not the last time...