Quote Originally Posted by daima
If you'll take your kids into stores that sell products made in sweat shops, or sell tobacco and booze(GAP, NIKE, ADIDAS, etc etc), then i dont see why you get all worked up over pipes and rolling papers. Dont program your kids into believing that there is something wrong with people who use cannabis. The truth has got to begin as early in their lives as possible.
This is my opinion and i honestly believe that everyone is entitled to it
dai*ma:stoned:
daima I think I agree with you, and it seems we are in the minority. At least in an ideal world, no one should have to hide responsible drug use from people of any age. We have all been a little scared by stories of kids ratting out their parents after the DARE program, but c'mon for the most part your kids trust you.

It's a natural plant and it's natural to see people smoking different kinds of plants (kids don't generally know the difference between say tobacco and weed). I agree that they should see it as a normal thing from an early age, even if they aren't allowed to try it for a while. The problem is living in a society that frowns upon it, not that marijuana itself is bad or should be hidden for a long time. Of course it is confusing for kids growing up with DARE, teachers and other parents on one side, and healthy and happy cannabis users on the other side---but I'm not sure the correct remedy to that confusion is hiding the healthy-and-happy aspect from them until they are "ready" to understand. If anything, I think it would ideally be better if you could protect them from all the negative propaganda surrounding drugs until they're old enough to understand it's just propaganda.

That said, it's still a difficult issue for everyone and I'm not sure at all yet how I will handle it when I'm a parent. But if YOU don't take them into the headshops, their older friends will first, and eventually you will seem like you were being dishonest with them.