Pot and Parenting: Confessions of Colorado's Weed-Smoking Moms

— -- When Jane West and her friends get together, the laughter rolls, trays of food and stories are passed around. But instead of splitting bottles of wine, these women like to unwind with artisanal marijuana.

West and her friends, some mothers with young children, are regular pot smokers who are unapologetic about getting high. Some, like West, have made it their mission to make smoking pot as socially acceptable as having a glass of wine.

“If other people were willing to talk about it, instead of saying, ‘Oh, my God, I was so drunk last night,’ be comfortable saying, ‘Oh, my God, I was so stoned last night,’ then more people would be talking about it just as openly,” West, 38, said.

Recreational pot use is still illegal in most parts of the United States, but Denver, where West lives, has become a mecca for pot lovers since Colorado legalized marijuana earlier this year, followed by Washington as the only other state where recreational use is legal.

West, a mother of two, is something of a pot aficionado. She says different varieties help her to be creative and focused, while others help her to relax and sleep. She said she spends about $40 every two weeks on locally-grown, organic weed.

West is the founder of Edible Events, a company that has found a niche throwing elegant, upscale, weed-friendly parties. West recently threw her biggest event yet, a huge, pot-friendly fundraiser for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at the famed Red Rocks venue that raised over $100,000 for the cash-strapped organization.

But working in this brand-new marijuana industry presents some unique challenges for West when it comes to her two sons, ages 4 and 6.

“I don’t think my kids should watch me smoke a joint, or consume any kind of combustible substances,” West said.

She keeps her pot stash locked up at the top of her office closet, far from their reach. West said she would never smoke marijuana anywhere near her children, but she doesn't draw a firm line about being high in front of them.

“I am hoping that people don’t have to answer this question anymore because no one gets asked this question about alcohol.” she said. “Marijuana is legal in this state, and I think women are being asked this question a lot more than men. Men that have kids.”

In the nine months since pot became legal in Colorado, moms like West have been navigating uncharted territory.

One of West’s friends, Britney Driver, has a 2-year-old son and believes she can still be a good mother and get high regularly.

“I know that what I’m doing is fine,” Driver said. “I see my son grow and he’s amazing and bright. That’s really all I need to hear.”

But the danger of being an open pot user is more than just being judged at the playground. Driver is also a columnist for a website called The Cannabist, where she recently wrote about the very real risk that, despite the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, the state’s child protection services can still take kids away from parents they believe are irresponsible pot smokers.

“Based on the fact that [marijuana is] just in my home,” Driver said. “It could be locked away in a jar, in a safe. If they want to take me in, they can, which is crazy.”