My mother truly is the matriarch of our family.
That means that she is more than just a biological mother, she is a leader.
Mom acts as an advisor and an authority figure to me, my three siblings, and a host of other cousins and friends we have gathered over the years. Anyone who comes to our house ends up being taken care of by Mom, in one way or the other. She has always been so reserved, so regal, and so serious about things, that it came as a real shock to me when I learned she was a regular cannabis user. When I think about smoking cannabis, I think about being relaxed and chilled out. My mom never seemed relaxed or chilled out, and yet apparently she smoked marijuana almost every single day of her adult life. It made me kind of sad, not because I don’t approve, but because how could someone smoke so much cannabis and not laugh more? If she is so stern while on cannabis, then without it she would probably be screaming angry all the time. It turns out that Mom never smoked it, she only ate edibles to help her stay relaxed. I broached the subject with her, and suggested that on top of the edibles, she should smoke a bowl or two with me and get really high. Edibles are great for the physical feeling, but to get giddy and ridiculous, smoking is the best way to go. She agreed, and after that was the first time I ever heard my mother giggle like a school child.