Post: These women say smoking weed makes them better moms

St. Charles, Missouri CNN —

On a recent Sunday in suburban St. Louis, some 50 women gather in an unassuming event space for a festive — and unusual — evening of bingo.

Within the space’s pink and green walls, the women crowd around card tables strewn with bingo cards and laden with bags of popcorn, chips, cheese puffs and candy bars.

Also, on the tables in plain sight, are piles of loose marijuana flowers, rows of pre-rolled joints and bowls of edibles. In one corner of the room is a “dabbing station” for those who prefer a more highly concentrated THC buzz. Women play bingo at a recent STL Cannamoms event in suburban St. Louis. CNN Bingo cards are seen alongside ashtrays with finished joints. CNN

Amid a haze of smoke, it’s clear many of these women are getting high.

Welcome to a gathering of “ STL Cannamoms ,” a group of Midwestern mothers who use marijuana regularly for a variety of reasons and say they believe it makes them better parents.

Cannabis. Marijuana. Grass. Weed. Pot. Call it whatever you want, they say — just don’t call them bad moms.

“We have moms that are grandmas … and we have moms that are lawyers or realtors or they’re cleaning ladies, or they are bartenders or teachers or nurses,” says Kimberlee Kesterson, co-founder of the group.

Missouri is one of 24 states, along with Washington, D.C. , that have legalized recreational marijuana. Kesterson and Jessica Carroll, a mother of two, started STL Cannamoms in 2022. Their Facebook group now has more than 4,000 members.“It’s a non-judgmental place,” one mom tells CNN at the recent game night.“I’m not doing it to party,” says another mom about using weed. “I’m doing it to relax.”As barriers to marijuana use fall across the country, these women are among an increasing number who are openly saying yes to cannabis. Some have faced criticism for using cannabis but say they are careful to limit their marijuana intake while parenting. Others ask whether taking small doses of weed makes them less responsible parents than a mom who drinks glasses of wine.“It definitely helps me […]

These women say smoking weed makes them better moms