How to Tell Your Parents About Your Marijuana Use

January 10, 2018

Anyone who has used cannabis has probably wondered for at least a split second: “What would my parents think?” Despite the increasing acceptance of marijuana as a recreational drug, the idea of telling your parents you smoke weed is still a daunting one for many (if not most) young adults. Whether you’re tired of sneaking around the house and trying every product to dampen the smell of marijuana smoke, or just want to facilitate a healthy conversation with your parents about marijuana use, we’ve got a few talking points to keep in mind when discussing weed with your parental figures.

Pick the Right Time

Joint Smoke Rising — Photo by: Jon Havlicek/Shutterstock

If you’re worried about a negative reception to opening up a conversation on your marijuana consumption, it’s important to time things right. Did Dad have a rough day at work today? Is Mom in the middle of prepping for a big meeting? Stress and conversations about new, potentially taboo topics generally don’t mix, and your parents are more likely to shut you down if they’re in a frazzled headspace.

It’s best to wait for a time when your parents are relatively calm and not doing anything too important. If your parents are like mine, those moments are few and far between. But with a little observational skill, you can identify the right time.

The worst time to bring up a subject like marijuana consumption is as an excuse for anything at all. Parents chastising you for not calling Grandma enough? Telling you to pick up more extracurriculars, or that you need to have more ambition? Bringing up your marijuana use in relation to any of these topics is a terrible idea.

Be Reasonable & Frame Positively

One of the best things you can do to calm your parents’ fear about you smoking weed is to be a responsible and reasonable user. There’s no point bringing up marijuana use if you’re just getting high with your friends day in and day out. There’s not really a positive spin for that angle. But if you use cannabis responsibly, make sure your parents know what that looks like. One of their first questions is likely to be “How often do you smoke?” and you should have a reasonable, honest answer for them.

You should also be able to articulate why you use marijuana, and what positive impact it has on your life. Be aware that responses like “anxiety” or “depression” may launch an inquisition into your mental health if you don’t elaborate further and explain that you’re using weed as an aid and not a crutch.

Stun Them with Science

At this point, there are enough peer-reviewed studies out there to give you a wealth of numbers to use in your discussion. Here are two to get you started:

No death from overdose of marijuana has ever been reported.
Moderate marijuana use has no link to increased lung, head, and neck cancer risk. Even smoking one joint a day for up to 20 years doesn’t necessarily translate to decreased lung function.

Opening this conversation with a calm demeanor at a low-stress time can lead to a productive discussion, along with hard facts and a demonstrated understanding of responsible marijuana use.

So if you feel like it’s time to let your parents in on your little secret, make sure to do so in a calm, informed, and adult manner. Hopefully they’ll be willing to approach it the same way.

Article by: Spencer Grey