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TEHRAN, Mar 12 - To do their maternal tasks in their family, some Canadian mothers consume drugs, saying it makes them 'better mothers'.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Karine Cyr , the mother of two leads a group of like-minded Canadian women challenging norms and rejecting stigmas around parenting and pot since Ottawa legalized its recreational use last October.
They are tired, she says, of having to hide their use of the mind-altering drug from family, neighbors and others, and have set out to educate their peers about its benefits.
"People are not informed. They still think that when we use cannabis, we sit in front of our television eating pizza like teenagers," Cyr says.
"When I consume cannabis, I do housework, I play with my children. I am more patient with my children, more present. It helps me to be a better mother, a better person."
Cyr argues that cannabis is a far better alternative than prescribed opioids or anti-depressants to treat anxiety or depression in new mothers.
Canada's health ministry warns parents against consuming cannabis because of the risks of second-hand smoke, while warning it also "may reduce a person's ability to pay attention (to their child), make decisions or react to emergencies."
According to the government statistical agency, 12 percent of Canadian women have used cannabis, compared to 19 percent of the total Canadian population.
"Cannabis can greatly influence the development of the central nervous system and the immune system of the fetus," said the author of "The 21 Unspoken Truths About Marijuana."
Yet, Cyr's message has resonated with hundreds of members of her Des fleurs ma chere (Flowers my dear) Facebook group, which she created to share experiences and thoughts about pot.
The group includes "entrepreneurs, psychologists, models, photographers ... they are women from all walks of life".
A Doctor Antoine Kanamugire says marijuana is not recommended during pregnancy because "THC, the psychoactive substance, will cross the placenta, so the baby will get 10 to 30 percent of the dose consumed by his mother."
Cannabis also passes into breast milk.
And several studies show that the drug's popularity among women in both Canada and the United States -- where several states have legalized it -- is growing fast.
Source: AFP
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