Cannabis Through the Generations: A Mother-Daughter Perspective

• 01:42 – Welcome and introductions.
• 02:24 – Tracy’s story of growing up in a Catholic school and experimenting with cannabis despite the social stigma. She discusses how she has used cannabis in different ways at different times. 
• 04:08 – She shares her experience of using cannabis as a mom, during pregnancy, and motherhood – even though I never knew! She talks about how she used cannabis to combat morning sickness and felt it was a safer alternative to prescription medications. I share how I didn’t realize I am a “canna-baby,” and I turned out just fine ?

• 05:51 – Her experience with being a wife, mom, volunteer, and artist and how it is all enhanced with cannabis use. We discuss how cannabis helps many people explore their artistic side and enhance creativity. 
• 06:48 – Using cannabis for anxiety and mental health and the choice she has made to use cannabis instead of prescription medications. How it helps to enhance her productivity and physical health. 
• 08:17 – Overcoming the perception of cannabis users and how many people can be helped with the cannabis plant if they just let go of the stigma. She talks about when she realized how important cannabis is as a medicine during a hospice situation. Now she is passionate about helping others realize the value of this medicine. 

• 09:19 – I share gratitude for my parent’s support of my work in the cannabis industry. They have always supported my work and have always been parents who are open and honest about cannabis. We talk about how other people can talk to their mom and dad about cannabis and how to talk about cannabis with our children and grandchildren.
• 11:39 – The difference between “back then” and now and the generational differences in the cannabis industry she has experienced over the past 30 years. The industry is much better now because you can get safe products you know more about. 
• 13:56 – How cannabis can allow us to trust ourselves and learn more about what we truly want. 

• 14:38 – How to talk to your parent or spouse about your desire to use cannabis. Don’t assume they will react a certain way; they may be more receptive than you think. Be honest, start small, be respectful, and explain your reasoning.
• 16:28 – If you are the child, how to approach your parent to use cannabis if you think they will benefit? Explain that there are ways to use it that don’t involve smoking, and show them they are in control. 
• 18:01 – The surprise when you realize that more people use cannabis than you know. How we all need to talk more openly about the benefits so others can feel talking about it, too. 

• 20:00 – What the world would look like if we taught basic cannabis education in high school health class. What would the world look like if we approached drugs differently with our kids? What cannabis would look like if we kept it neutral, like growing vegetables? 
• 23:07 – The importance of self-sufficiency in cannabis so that you can grow your cannabis, make your own medicine, and manage your health without having to run to the doctor. How we need to pass down cannabis wisdom from generation to generation. 
• 25:25 – What it looks like to live a full, productive, happy life with the help of cannabis. Why it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, and why you must be proud of yourself and who you are.

• 27:40 – Using cannabis when your spouse does not, overcoming obstacles, and how to live peacefully if you don’t have the same views.
• 29:50 – The importance of being present as a mom and how cannabis can help enhance your parenting experience. Cannabis can help you be calm, happy, present, thankful, and grateful. The way to raise productive, happy adults is to have happy children, which starts with a happy mom.
• 31:14 – Final four questions.

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Tracy: I think, well I’m 58 years old, and I went to Catholic grammar school, high school, and I think just like any other kid, someone brought it in and tried it. I do remember it, and I really liked it.

That’s sort of where it started, and from there, it’s more just the navigation of that it was supposed to be bad, or you had to keep everything kind of hidden. I enjoyed it, and I didn’t overjoy it, but again, there was always a big huge stigma with using it, so that’s a big difference now.

Emily: Do you feel like being in a Catholic grammar school made the stigma any different, or do you think it was more of an era thing?

Tracy: I think it was more of an era thing, honestly, I don’t think it was the school at all. Again, it was a small school, but it was almost because it was more sheltered, and they were still experimenting with the cannabis method, everybody was trying it.

I think that the point is that no matter how old, there’s always going to be a time when this question will come up, and you know you’re going to make choices.

Emily: So moving forward into young adulthood, did you bring cannabis with you?

Tracy: Yes. Again, different times in your life, different things. I’m proud to say that I have never been on any kind of medication, including blood pressure medication. I’m really healthy, and I personally think that cannabis has helped me with that.

It tends to calm my center, it makes me a lot more creative, and it gets you off the hamster wheel a little bit, which I think mentally goes a lot with physically. It just helps me to be a more grounded person.

Emily: I want to talk about something I didn’t know until I had my second baby. After he was born, you had said to me, “well, I used cannabis when I was pregnant,” and I never knew.

I’d love for you to talk a little bit more about that because I’m so glad you told me because it made me feel better. I’m also glad that you didn’t tell me, in a way, because it just allowed me to make my own choice.

Let’s talk about that because I think many people are so scared to talk about that, and I know you’re not.

Tracy: I think that, again, it becomes a stigma thing. And with children, I mean, I certainly, smoked cannabis the whole time my kids were growing up.

Emily: I had no idea; I would’ve never known, never assumed, never smelled.

Tracy: That’s the point. I wouldn’t be, and I certainly wouldn’t drink in front of you either; that’s not the type of thing we did. It was something that was illegal for children under 21, just like alcohol, and I kind of used it the same way; you didn’t want to do that.

I used it during pregnancy because I had terrible morning sickness, and I didn’t want to take medications to stop the morning sickness. I would smoke a very small amount in the morning, and you know what? I didn’t have morning sickness.

For me, that was helpful; I didn’t have to have any other kind of drugs. And again, at that point, you just hope that you know, that it’s a natural thing. So again, to be nauseous all day long or be productive by just doing a little bit of that, I hedged my bets.

Emily: I’m so glad that you said that, though, because I am obviously a perfect living example that you can have a canna baby, and they can grow up into adulthood and be completely fine and normal.

I’m assuming Abbey, you used with Abbey as well, and she’s a registered nurse. She’s amazing, an amazing adult.

Tracy: Yeah, both beautiful, productive children. I have a lovely home, and I’ve been married for almost 33 years. I’m a person that does lots of volunteering, I have done lots of great things.

I love to do projects, and all of those things to me have been enhanced because of cannabis. I find it a lot more interesting; I find that a lot of my creativity comes out if I can smoke pot.

Emily: She is an amazing artist, too; I’ll share some pictures she’s done. But it really is; people don’t talk about creativity enough and the aspect of that, even though many people experience it.

I know personally that people love exploring their artistic side, or it doesn’t even have to be art, but just creativity. I find it when I’m working on my food photography and setting up beautiful shots, and you find it in drawing, so it really can enhance your life.

So not only is cannabis enhancing your life with creativity, but you said it also helps health-wise. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Tracy: I don’t know because they certainly don’t put out these types of studies, but I honestly feel that mentally, lots of people suffer from depression, lots of people have anxiety, and they use prescriptions for that.

I have those issues, but I’m able to really quell them by using cannabis, and to me, I think that’s really important. The other thing that I think is really important for people to know is I’m just a normal person.

I don’t think people would ever have considered me to be a ‘stoner’ or a person that’s unproductive. I think it’s really important for people to stop looking at the stigma that it’s something bad. If it’s something that helps you to be a better person, and a healthier person, I think that’s really important.

And again, I don’t take any other medication, which I feel is really important, and I really do have to equate it to being able to use cannabis.

Emily: It’s that you have the knowledge to use your own form of medication without having to resort to something else, which is so nice. I mean, I use cannabis for the same reasons.

Anxiety, depression, thankfully, I’ve never had to be on medication either but to be able to have the confidence and know that I can take care of myself and I know what my body needs, I feel like is such a gift.

Because now I don’t worry about when’s my next trip to the doctor. What are they going to say? Are they going to change my medications? I’m just so glad that I’ve never had to experience that.

Tracy: I think the other thing is that for so long, I was so worried about how other people looked at me and my use of cannabis that I think with what you do, I’ve really finally realized how many other people can be helped with it.

We had a neighbor who had throat cancer, and the only thing that helped him to feel better, to be able to be alert and aware, instead of opioids, was CBD and THC oil that he could take. That was the thing that was the most comfort to that family.

That’s when I realized this is a lot bigger than just saying whether, “Oh, you’re a stoner or not.” This is something that can help so many people. Everybody in hospice should have the opportunity to be able to use this.

Opioids bind you up or make you so high that you can’t enjoy yourself, and then you’re down so low. This is something that’s even-keeled, and everyone should be able to use that and have the opportunity to try these things. To me, that’s one of the things I think is most important about what you’re doing.

Emily: Thank you, well, I really appreciate that. And I have to say throughout my whole career, you and Dad have been 1,000% supportive in everything I do, especially going full force into cannabis, and so I thank you so much.

I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t have the support of both of you because it was hard to come out of the closet. Not to you guys, because I don’t. Did I ever really come out of the closet to you? I don’t remember.

Tracy: I think we’ve always discussed it in a certain way, and again those conversations changed after you were of age.

Emily: Right, yes.

Tracy: And this is what you wanted to do.

Emily: I don’t remember ever being scared to talk to you guys about it. I think one day I just started smoking in front of you, and we called it a day; I don’t remember a big thing.

Tracy: I can guarantee you that you were probably over 21 when that happened.

Emily: At least 18.

Tracy: Because again, even though I smoked, and it probably seems–

Emily: I mean, I still had no idea. Yeah, no, I had no idea.

Tracy: I just felt like that was the right thing at that time to do. On the other hand, I wish, in a way, it didn’t have to be that way.

I’m glad to know that in future generations, we’ll be able to have honest conversations, that I’ll be able to, and that I can have an honest conversation with my eight-year-old grandson about what it is because really what it is is, it is just a tool.

Emily: Right, yeah.

Tracy: It’s not a medicine, it’s a tool, and like other tools, it’s the way you use it, or how you use it, and using it appropriately, and I think that’s really important for him to know.

Emily: My son Ransom, you guys will get to meet him, he knows all about cannabis, so I’m fully transparent. It started with him watching the plant grow in the ground.

Maybe that’s where my love of gardening started, too, because you are a certified master gardener. I grew up watching you in the garden every day, and so when we say it’s just a plant, that’s truly what it is; it’s just a plant.

Tracy: It is.

Emily: I watch every other plant grow in the ground, and when you grow it in your backyard, it grows next to all your other plants.

Tracy: It’s no different than Echinacea, which people use for sleep.

Emily: Right.

Tracy: It’s the same thing. It’s just; it is; it’s just a plant. But again, knowledge is power, and people have been kind of hiding this for way too long. If it can help people not to rely on pharmaceuticals, and I have seen it firsthand, then that should be out there for people.

More than that, this is the other thing that’s different about back then compared to now because we’re starting to become where it’s more legal and more accepted, you know exactly what you’re getting.

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: Now when I smoke something, I know exactly where it is. I know where it came from and who grew it, and that’s really important to me.

I mean, because of the way the world is these days, those things are something you really have to be scared about. I certainly don’t want to be; I mean, in the ’70s, go on the corner and get it; nobody wants to do that, and nobody should have to.

Emily: Especially as a mature adult, too, you don’t want to do that.

Tracy: It’s ridiculous. It’s better for you than alcohol. It’s not going to kill your liver. Me, I don’t want this, which bothers me the most, is that if you can say alcohol is perfectly fine, which it isn’t.

I mean, if anything should be outlawed, it should be alcohol, but the cat’s out of the bag. So I’m hoping that people can use things appropriately in the right way.

Emily: I guess it’s weird because technically, we trust people enough to use alcohol because it’s legal, but we’re saying we don’t trust people enough to use cannabis. We don’t trust that they can make the right decision when the side effects and the repercussions of cannabis are so much less than alcohol.

Tracy: And the fact of the matter is we should be able to make those choices ourselves.

Emily: Exactly.

Tracy: It’s not something that’s addictive. You give people those choices when you send them home with opioids, which doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t you try something that’s non-addictive, that’s more natural, that can actually help the person on a more long-term basis.

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: I don’t understand that, and that’s the thing, that’s the thing that you need to be always pioneering for, and you do. And the one thing I said to you when you started this out, and I truly still believe it, is people used to think the world was flat.

You’re a pioneer in what you’re doing, but it’s important. It’s important because I’ve seen people’s quality of life improve because of what you do. And for me, I’m very proud of you for that.

Emily: Thank you, it’s really nice. I mean, like you said, though, I wouldn’t be able to do this if you and Dad weren’t 1,000% supportive at every step of the way.

Even before, I was into talking about cannabis publicly when I wanted to quit my job at the hospital because, working there, I saw firsthand how terrible the medical system was. You knew it didn’t vibe with my overall philosophy in life, and like when I wanted to quit, you guys were like, “You should go ahead and quit. “Don’t do something that makes you unhappy.”

I feel like cannabis has kind of really given me that ability to decide what makes me happy, and I’m not going to do things that don’t make me happy because I don’t have to.

Tracy: No, you don’t, and if everybody always goes the same way everybody goes, nobody learns anything.

Emily: Right.

Tracy: I mean, it was almost the same as when you were at the hospital, and the fact that there’s such a separation between nutrition and health in a hospital, dumbest thing ever. But again, unless you break out of those things that people are used to, things will never change.

Emily: I want to talk about, say that someone is listening to this and they so desperately want to be able to talk to their mom about cannabis, or their dad, and say, “This is what I use, and it makes me feel better.”

How do you think that they should approach that if they’re not sure how their parent is going to react?

Tracy: First of all, honesty is the best policy. If you’re an adult and you’re in your own home, I think that’s the time to have that conversation. I think you should always be respectful of how your parents feel, but I think unless you talk to them, you’re not going to know how they feel.

And just because we’re older doesn’t mean we haven’t gone through the same series of circumstances. People just assume that you’re, for some reason, our brains are wiped clean when we turn 50 and older, but that’s really not the case.

You might just find out that they’ve been doing it all along; you don’t really know.

Emily: That’s so true because you never know. I mean, often you’re like, “Oh, I didn’t know this person used cannabis.”

Because people still feel a stigma, which they shouldn’t, because it doesn’t change who you are; it just changes how you adapt to your life; that’s really all it is.

Emily: It’s so crazy that there’s a stigma about being a better version of yourself, don’t you think?

Tracy: Yes, but that’s society. And again, those are the things that we have to try and learn to change or try to change our thinking about things. Things are not black and white.

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: There’s a whole lot of gray, and that’s the part that you have to explore, and you have to look at. And again, with your children, I think you must be honest.

I think you start small. You don’t have to throw it all out there; you don’t have to pull out a bong in front of your poor mom, that’s 80 years old. But again, I think that people, and I think if you explain why you do what you’re doing,

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: I think many people who have gone through the pharmaceutical trying to get fixed would probably think it was a good idea to try something else.

Emily: Yeah. I also find that many kids think that their parents are aging and could benefit from cannabis, and are also afraid to talk to them and ask their parents to try cannabis.

Tracy: That’s a very good point, and I will highly suggest gummies because a lot of people have a fear of smoking. I don’t know why that is, but trying gummies and microdosing is usually a really good way for people to try it.

If they’re not a regular cannabis user, gummies are a really, really, really good way to try to get into the field and see, because again, a little bit at a time to see how it affects you. That’s the other thing people, I think older people are afraid of, is, “Oh, I don’t know what’ll happen to me.”

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: Like they’ll be off the roof or something like that. And so a way to control that is, I think, a really good way. But I’ve seen a lot of people with arthritis, lots of people with cancer, that it helps them on a daily basis.

And again, I wish all those people could discuss it more and not feel bad. I have a friend with cancer, and she went to the dispensary; everything’s all legal, but she said she was looking over her shoulder when she was getting in her car.

Because that’s how we grew up, that bad, bad, bad.

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: And we have to change; we all have to change; we have to change our thinking.

Emily: How do you think we change it, though?

Tracy: Exactly like you’re doing it right now, knowledge, conversation, being able to talk to your children, being able to talk to your parents.

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: Because really, it’s something that’s been here all along. We just don’t talk about it. It’s the truth; it’s been here. Again, if you could ask everybody and no one had to say who they were, I think you’d find that quiet, I mean, I’m always surprised, and I’m still surprised to this day when you don’t know that someone is a user.

Emily: Yes, and they say they are, yeah. I don’t know why it’s surprising.

Tracy: Because I think that when, back in the day, when you were a user, someone had the stereotypical, “Oh, they don’t work, they get high all day, “they are not productive.”

And so that’s, I think, where most of the stigma has come from. That’s why I want to be able to say, “Hey, it makes me way more creative; I do a better job. “I could clean that sink better than ever.”

For whatever reason, I don’t know why it’s not used, or not looked at that way, but it does; it makes me more creative, and it makes me happier. If I’m anxious, if something bad is happening, if I can calm myself down, it helps me to navigate the situation.

Emily: Yeah, yeah.

Tracy: For me, it’s really been a great thing. I hope that because of it, I can stay active and hopefully never be on any kind of extra medications and things like that. I do feel it helps.

Emily: Definitely; I mean, I feel like I’ve been thinking about my health differently lately. Like as I’m getting older, and watching you guys get older, and watching Phil get older, and thinking about long-term health and wellness.

I do feel like cannabis is such a perfect tool in the tool belt that it just goes so well with exercising, eating well, and then sleeping better. It all comes together; I feel like when you pull cannabis into it.

So many people are just so afraid that they’ll get the munchies and gain weight, or they don’t understand that it’s a holistic thing.

Tracy: I’ve never felt like it made you gain weight. Either that or you were just dying to eat those potato chips anyways. I really do feel that way. It’s, again, a stigma that should not be there. It just shouldn’t.

Emily: I always feel like, what would the world look like if we had, in high schools, like a health class that was just like a cannabis class?

Here’s what it is, we grow it. This is, when you’re an adult, you can use it. Obviously, for kids, but if everyone had that fundamental knowledge, what a difference that would make.

Tracy: Well, why is it that you shouldn’t have that? Why isn’t it that in a health class, you actually don’t show children all bad drugs or all drugs? Because frankly, I know someone whose son died from an overdose of Benadryl.

So these are, this is drugs, this is good, this is bad, and this is what it is. And frankly, to be able to say, “I know what that is,” when someone shows it to you.

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: And then already you’ve already conditioned your child to not that, it’s not a bad thing.

Emily: We approach drugs differently, I think, in our house than most people because Ran knows what every drug is and how dangerous it is.

I mean, we have really tried to hone in on, “If you see that you are in immediate danger, “you need to move; you need to run.” Hopefully, he would never see that, but going through.

Tracy: But you can’t assume that he won’t.

Emily: I know, in high school, with those pills and those things.

Tracy: It’s a different day and age, and you can’t assume they’ll never see it, so it won’t come up.

Emily: Yes.

Tracy: Like I won’t have the sex talk with him because that’s not going to come up; bad move.

Emily: Right.

Tracy: Knowledge is power.

Emily: Absolutely, and I mean, he knows what alcohol is and that it’s not great. He knows what cigarettes are and that they’re not great. Just like he knows what cannabis is, he knows how to grow a tomato, and he knows how to pick a zucchini out of the garden.

We’ve tried to keep it a very neutral subject, but we really, really value transparency, and hopefully, that will benefit him in the long run because I don’t want him to go to school and be like, “What’s that?” And be so naive that he could get himself in trouble.

Tracy: Absolutely. I also think it’s important to say, too, which they never point out because nobody wants to, but cannabis does not cause cancer.

Emily: Right.

Tracy: And there are a lot of people that feel that in a way, because you’re calming your mind and calming your body, maybe it helps to resist from that. Now, I don’t know if that’s true; I’m just saying.

But, I’d like to think that, and I know, again, people that I know that have cancer have gotten great relief.

Emily: I know.

Tracy: Some people feel that their stuff has been kept away after they’ve had it because of certain oils and things, I don’t know. What I know is that if that chance is out there, we should know about it.

We’re supposed to be informed. The FDA is supposed to tell us everything we think as a society, and that’s just not the case.

Emily: I mean, just reading the headlines the last three days of bullshit that the FDA has said and done, I don’t want my life to be governed by a corrupt agency. So at this point, I don’t care what they say.

Tracy: Well the FDA are not people who really know about drugs.

Emily: I mean, the things that they allow and don’t, the ticker this morning, “FDA proposes limits on lead in baby food.” How about the limit is zero?

Tracy: Yeah.

Emily: What the f*@k? I don’t understand how we even give this agency any power in our lives. And so I think really one of my biggest goals is I want people to be self-sufficient.

I want people to have the knowledge to use the cannabis plant. I want people to be able to grow their own cannabis plant, and I want people to know how to use it like medicine so that when the day comes that they need to alter or change something in their routine, they know exactly what to reach for.

They can try a different product, a different strain, a different kind, but they don’t have to run to the doctors. They can take care of themselves. And self-sufficiency in cannabis, I think, is the number one thing I want people to have.

Tracy: But that’s one of the great things about if it would become legal, if it would become a common practice that those different options, again, everyone can always get cannabis, whether it becomes legal or not.

But to be able to say, “I want this strain of it, “because this is going to help me with my anxiety, “this or that.” And specifically, know what those strains are and what they will do. That is what we need. That’s why old people are scared.

Emily: I know.

Tracy: They’re going to get something laced, but that’s what it should be; it should be used in a medicinal way that way to help.

Emily: I think ultimately it’s going to come down to women like me and you, and all the other women I’ve interviewed, and men too, who have used cannabis, who turn around and say, “I’m going to help someone else now, “because I feel so much better.”

Passing down that wisdom because we’re not going to get it from a book, we’re not going to get it from our conventional education. But, I think of moms and grandmas a hundred years ago passing down a bread-making tradition.

It’s the same thing we can start to pass down to our children, herbal wisdom. Ways to take care of yourself without conventional medicine. And I feel like, hopefully, we can bring this to our children, and kind of change that generational thought, and just give everybody that encouragement, and old-time wisdom, that can only really be passed down from mothers, daughters, families, aunts, uncles, in generational change.

Tracy: I think talking about something, too, again becomes a normal thing, or a condition that kids understand. So by talking about it, you’re kind of destigmatizing it.

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: It’s like the people that never, I mean, the children were never exposed to alcohol, and then they go to college, and then, “Oh yeah, you could do it.”

Emily: Yeah, 100%.

Tracy: It’s just not the way you want to do it. Again, looking at something in a medicinal way is just the smartest way to be able, and good medicines, bad medicines, just exactly like you should with everything else with your kids.

Emily: Well, and ultimately you are the role model; there’s no bigger role model in your life as a child, so I should thank you. I can use cannabis daily and live a very full and productive life, and that’s because I saw you do it.

You have done it, and you have shown me that that’s possible. And so I hope we can show other people that it’s completely possible and be a role model and show people on a scale of one to 10, we’re great people, we’re great humans, we try and do good in the world.

There’s really nothing that cannabis has taken away from us. If not, it’s just enhanced. And I feel like thank you for showing me that that’s completely possible because we don’t see it enough.

Tracy: Again, when you become an adult, and you are old enough and responsible enough age, I will reiterate that she never knew that I smoked pot.

Emily: No, we didn’t.

Tracy: And it should be that way. But once you become an adult, and the choices that you make, we should be able to always talk about that. I mean, there are so many things in the world that are gray these days; you just can’t; you have to start to change and look at things differently, and what can I get out of this?

Emily: Right, right.

Tracy: I’m glad that it’s finally coming a point where you can. I was a little nervous about doing this because, again, of the stigma thing, but frankly, I’m a really good person.

Emily: Right.

Tracy: I’ve done great things in my life, and frankly, I’m here to say, “It’s because I’ve smoked cannabis, it’s helped me.”

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: It’s really helped me, and I don’t want other people not to do something or not try something that might really help them in their daily life.

Emily: Well, thank you for being brave enough to come out and show your face. I talked about someone else the other day, it’s like ripping off the band-aid, but once you do, you’re just so free. There’s just not that looking over your shoulder feeling where you’re like, “I don’t care.”

Tracy: I think with age comes wisdom, too. And at this point in my life, if you’re going to judge me because I smoke cannabis, then I don’t really want to be your friend anyway.

Emily: Right, exactly.

Tracy: It just gets to the point where it doesn’t really matter what other people think, it matters who I am and what I do, and I’m proud of myself.

Emily: I’m proud of you, too. I mean, you’re an amazing mom; I’ll give you that.

Tracy: Thanks. You’re an amazing daughter.

Emily: Thank you. I mean, I am so lucky. I don’t know if my life would look the same if you and Dad had not been as supportive as you are.

Tracy: You know, it’s an interesting point to bring up because her father, and again, married 33 years, does not smoke cannabis, does not.

Emily: He didn’t really like it before, did he? He was a little anti, maybe. When I was in high school.

Tracy: Oh, no, no, but when we met, he did.

Emily: Right.

Tracy: But then he didn’t at all. But unfortunately, he’s on pharmaceuticals that I wish he didn’t have to be on.

Emily: Right.

Tracy: I wish I could, but again, everyone’s different. And the point is that we’ve navigated our lives with me being a user and him not being a user.

Emily: Yeah.

Tracy: And that’s fine because we all are allowed to make our own choices, aren’t we? And if it makes us a better and happier person, who’s to judge?

Emily: I know. So my husband doesn’t use cannabis either, and honestly, he should be so lucky that I do use cannabis because I’m nicer.

Emily: Absolutely. And ultimately, that’s one of the reasons that it makes me a better mom is cause my fuse is much longer, I am much more patient, and I am much more gentle with my children, and I don’t know why people wouldn’t want that for kids.

Tracy: I agree; if it makes it so it’s more enjoyable for you to go sit out in the backyard when your kids play, why is that a bad thing?

Emily: I don’t know. Like they’d rather you just sit there and be bitchy and be like, “Man, I’m so mad the house is dirty.” Yeah, like that’s any better, I don’t know.

It was funny, another mom yesterday was talking, and she said, “I could, “with cannabis, I can sit in a messy living room “and not care about the messy living room, “and play with my kids.”

And I thought that was a great way to say it because, yeah, it makes you more present, and it just makes you realize what’s important are your kids, being there, so.

Tracy: And well, it’s not even just being with your kids; it’s how you are being with your kids.

Emily: That’s a good way to say it.

Tracy: It’s not because of being there; you could be on the phone, doing nothing. But for me, smoking cannabis, we could go out in the backyard, and it’d be a lot more fun to make mud pies, or just do things, look at the worms.

Its just the little things in life, and those are the really important things. But it is; it was about being there; it was much better.

Emily: To look back on it, I guess as a child who was raised by a mom who used cannabis, I had the best childhood anyone could ever have, you know? And so I hope other people can realize.

Tracy: I was a better mother because I smoked cannabis. I was a calmer, more present, happier mother that was grateful that I was able to be with my kids. I didn’t resent it at all; I loved it.

Emily: I am reaping the benefits of that; I had a great childhood, and not everybody can say that. I had a picture-perfect childhood. I had parents who loved each other. A home, I had unconditional love. You were home; you worked from home.

Tracy: I did work.

Emily: Everything we ever needed, and I’m so glad that you could make yourself feel the best way you wanted to feel so that you could be a great mom.

Tracy: But isn’t our job as parents is to raise you to be productive, happy adults? And the way to do that is to make it so you’re happy children.

Emily: Yeah. That’s perfect. I think that’s a perfect place to end it. Now I am going to ask all my guests the same four questions.

Tracy: Okay. Sure.

Emily: All right, first, what are you most proud of to date?

Tracy: My family.

Emily: Thank you, I think I knew you would say that. But you do have a picture-perfect family. Like, not to–

Tracy: Listen, I worked for my family, I started out with no family, and I’m super proud of my home, what I’ve built, my marriage, my children, my extended family, and my friends. Yeah, my family.

Emily: Me and my sister. Maybe I’ll bring her on for a podcast. We’re very; we’re perfect daughters, so thank you. What do you think your life would look like if you didn’t have cannabis?

Tracy: I think I would’ve been a lot more anxious, a lot less present, and anxious for no reason. I’m a person that likes to do stuff. I’m a mover; I’m not a person that likes to be sedentary very often. That helps me to focus and center my energy, which helps me to really start to do the things that I really love.

Emily: Perfect. If you could sit down with yourself 10, 20, or even 30 years ago and give yourself a piece of cannabis advice, what would it be?

Tracy: I’m not sure I would do anything different.

Emily: Hmm, that’s actually what was going to be my answer to that question as well when I recorded it.

Tracy: No, because everything, I didn’t have any bad experiences per se, and everything kind of led me up to what my belief is now, so for me, that wasn’t a bad thing, so I don’t think I would change anything.

Emily: Because everything happens for a reason.

Tracy: Exactly.

Emily: If you could be remembered for just one thing in this world, what would it be?

Tracy: Trying to be kind.

Emily: I knew you would pick that, just because you are, you exhibit that as a human being.

Tracy: I try every day to try and be kind; that’s it.

Emily: Perfect.

Tracy: I mean, when you look, what else do you have, right? I love you.

Emily: I love you. Thank you so much for doing this with me.

Tracy: You’re welcome.

Emily: I hope that anybody listening can just learn from my amazing mom and learn that, if she can do it, you can do it, too, and cannabis is a blessing, and I mean, it’s changed our family, I guess.

Tracy: I hope that anybody that has questions too, ask them. I’m more than happy to answer questions that anybody might have, I don’t know if they would or not, but again, I’ve never seen this type of interaction between people before, but that’s why it was important.

Emily: I think it’ll be exciting; I hope that people, I hope, it’s my vision that a mom somewhere is listening to this alone, while walking her baby in a stroller, and being like, “Oh, I don’t have to feel guilty. “As long as I feel better, that’s all that matters, “and all the outside noise can just go away.”

Tracy: I’m a responsible person. I think that’s what it all comes down to: if you’re responsible with your decisions, then you’re good.

Emily: More power to you.

Tracy: I should be able to make my own decisions, my own responsibility.

Emily: You’re an adult. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for coming and doing this with me. I really appreciate it, and if it wasn’t for you, none of this would even be a thing, so thank you so much.

Tracy: Absolutely.

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