Not that long ago, I was the person hiding my cannabis beverage at parties.

I'd slip a koozie over the can or pour it into a cup so nobody would ask what I was drinking. I wasn't ashamed of my choice, but I wasn't exactly eager to invite questions either.

Today, I openly carry a cannabis beverage into social gatherings and spend half the night answering questions from curious parents.

That's how much has changed.

And yet, in many ways, nothing has changed at all.

When I decided to stop drinking alcohol and incorporate cannabis into my life, most people were supportive. They saw that I was making a thoughtful decision about what worked best for me.

Others weren't so sure.

Some people immediately associated cannabis use with decades-old stereotypes. To them, being a parent who consumed cannabis automatically made me irresponsible, regardless of how I actually showed up for my children.

The criticism wasn't always loud, but it was there. Whether it came from family members or fellow parents, I could feel the judgment.

What struck me most was that the small group of critics often seemed louder than the much larger group of people who either supported me or simply didn't care.

Over time, though, conversations began to change minds.

Not because I argued with people, but because they saw my life.

They saw a present parent. They saw a loving parent. They saw someone making intentional choices about her well-being. Most importantly, they saw that cannabis wasn't turning me into a bad parent; it was part of a lifestyle that helped me become a healthier, happier version of myself.

I can’t remember exactly when I stopped worrying so much about what other people thought, but instead of hiding my cannabis use, I started talking about it.

I talked about it on social media. I talked about it at parties. I stopped disguising my beverage and started answering questions honestly.

What I discovered surprised me.

Most people weren't judgmental at all.

They were curious.

They wanted to know what I was drinking. They wanted to understand how cannabis beverages worked. They wanted recommendations. They wanted to know how to consume responsibly.

The more open I became, the more I realized that many people's fears about cannabis simply came from a lack of exposure and education.

One of the most common questions I get is whether I hide cannabis from my children.

The answer is no.

I work in the cannabis industry, so pretending it doesn't exist would be silly and unrealistic. Instead, I choose transparency and age-appropriate conversations.

I don't smoke around my children. Period.

But I do consume cannabis beverages in their presence, just as many parents responsibly consume alcohol around their children.

I've taught my kids how to recognize cannabis packaging and understand that products with cannabis warning symbols are for adults only. They know not to eat or drink anything containing cannabis, and when they have questions, I answer them honestly.

For me, education is far more effective than secrecy.

This is where I think people often get confused.

Normalization isn't about encouraging everyone to use cannabis.

It's about recognizing that responsible cannabis consumers are ordinary people.

We're parents, professionals, business owners, teachers, neighbors, and friends.

We're not defined by a single product we consume.

The same way we don't assume someone is a bad parent because they enjoy a glass of wine, we shouldn't automatically judge someone because they choose cannabis instead.

Cannabis conversations often feel polarized.

On one side are people who still view cannabis through the lens of decades of prohibition-era messaging. On the other side are people pushing for broader acceptance and understanding.

Most of us live somewhere in the middle.

We're simply trying to make informed decisions about our own lives.

I'm a parent. I use cannabis. And I'm not interested in fitting into anyone's stereotype.

What I hope people see is that responsible cannabis use and responsible parenting are not mutually exclusive.

If anything, the more openly we talk about cannabis, the more we can replace fear, assumptions, and judgment with education and understanding.

Parenting is hard enough already. Maybe it's time we stop judging how others responsibly manage it.

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