Social attitudes toward cannabis and parenting have shifted dramatically as more states legalize marijuana. According to a poll released Monday by Yahoo and Marist, nearly half of American parents who use cannabis say they have consumed it in front of their adult children or shared it with them.
The survey, part of a comprehensive report by Yahoo days before April 20 — the unofficial worldwide holiday for cannabis consumers — revealed that 47 percent of parents are open with their children regarding marijuana use. The poll also shows that more than one in four users have consumed marijuana in front of or with their own parents.
The survey also shows a generational shift among consumers of the ubiquitous herb: The majority (54 percent) of Americans who say they use marijuana are now parents.
The societal undercurrent to this massive shift is simple: Eight states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use and 28 states have created some form of medical marijuana program. The “Just Say No” Era is over and voting adults have opted to dramatically change the paradigm.
As more states legalize recreational use, Americans (including parents) have concluded that the perceived harms simply do not outweigh the benefits of a regulated market.
Among the other surprising findings of the survey:
- Americans say that regular tobacco use (76 percent) is a bigger health risk than regular marijuana use (18 percent) — and they say the same thing about alcohol (72 percent vs. 20 percent).
- Sixty percent of parents who’ve tried pot think their kids would either approve of their parents’ recreational cannabis use or would not care.
- Among parents who consume marijuana, 69 percent support allowing children to use cannabis as a legal medicine.
- Sixty percent of parents who consume cannabis say their kids are aware of their use and 54 percent of them have talked to their kids about it.
- Among adult children, 72 percent say that their parents are aware of their use.
