Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/09/20/parents-explain-to-their-kids.html
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The munchie convo comes next…
PS. I’m high right now.
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I guess the question is, did you begin using marijuana before your brain finished developing? And if not, do you expect your daughter to take her lead from what you (and her friends) did, or what you’re telling her to do? 
I smoked weed before my brain finished developing. shrug I’ve gotten on ok.
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Rub it in why doncha… 
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Dad: Well, you were born.
Child: And … ?
Dad: That’s it.
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What I find curious is that my parents still insist on claiming they’ve never smoked weed. Even though they were lushes with my aunt and uncle back in the 70’s.
The 70’s.
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Seems like a conversation for slightly older children. But that is definitely my opinion only.
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My rule for the kid is that if he stumbles on some good weed he is only in trouble for not sharing with his parents.
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Sure, but it’s not responsible use. Likewise for alcohol, if i had a kid i would want them to be of a certain age before they should use alcohol or pot to minimize any risks or harm that could occur. And for people who use pot at a young age the full extent of how it changes or affects their developing brain is not entirely understood so it would make sense to allow for their development to end, then if its something they want to try it they can do so.
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You’re kind of killing my buzz, Dad…
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Friend of mine had stoner parents who had the rule where if you came across good weed, to share it. Him and his brother smoked all through adolesence.
He ended up a sales guy for a software company. So perhaps a cautionary tale.
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“I can’t be a hypocrite”? Good god, half of being a parent seems to be being a hypocrite. I was crappy about doing my homework, but I’ve so far kept that fact from my kids, I think to their advantage.
(That said, I’ve never had to explain to my kids why I’ll knock back a beer or two, so I get that this is a weird cultural distinction)
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It’s all personal choice, i am not telling you what to do with your life or if you had kids how you should raise them. If one is comfortable letting their kids drink or smoke at a young age then go ahead, but its not something i would agree with.
Growing up my parents didn’t threaten me or anything not to drink, they just explained what their views were and asked me that if i was to drink to drink responsibly and that their preference was that i be of age before i did so. I respect them for having that kind of conversation with me.
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Don’t fuck up the rotation, Susie.
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Because it’s grownup juice.
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That’s not traditionally how that works. I can hold your ashtray though.
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My kids would fall squarely in the judgemental camp. I don’t know how it happened, but they are far, far more careful about what they eat and drink then either my wife or I (or is it my wife or me?). It’s going to take some pretty spectacular peer pressure to get either one of them to ever smoke or eat pot.
My one daughter will indulge in the occasional Dr Pepper but my other daughter won’t touch it. They won’t eat candy or ice cream (or fro yo) or pretty much any junk foods. The occasional square of dark chocolate is as decadent as it gets.
Last weekend we went out for some fajitas and guac and when the waiter asked if I wanted another beer they answered for me “no, he’s driving”.
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Do our brains ever finish developing?
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So, where’s the “Parents explain to their kids why they drink booze” video? Oh right, because nothing bad has ever come from drinking alcohol…
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Neuroanatomist here. Effectively, yes, but we need an operational definition for ‘developing.’
The ample research onto effects of cannabis on brains gives us insight into the concept of brain plasticity. When you are young, your brain is “plastic” which means that it can change. For example, if you sustain brain damage, other brain regions are more likely to change to compensate for the deficit.
As we age the brain becomes less plastic, and the way our brain formed becomes more or less permanent (with very few exceptions, and lots of research into ways we can change this).
The age at which the brain stops being plastic varies greatly. It varies by individuals but the greatest factor is biological sex, with males losing plasticity later than females on average.
Your synapses can still change as you learn and forget things, but brain regions, yes, stop developing, and generally decrease in size over the remainder of your life.
Research into cannabis shows us that smoking as a teenager will effect its plasticity, and can permanently alter the brain, generally for the worse. As an adult, weed changes the brain slightly, but is completely reversed when the adult stops smoking.
Here’s a 2002 article on the topic.
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