By Kathleen Guthrie
Down the street and around the corner from my home is a medical marijuana dispensary—one of two in our neighborhood. I am 100% in support of pot being used to ease the side effects of chemotherapy and other excruciating conditions, but I get really irritated when carloads of 20-something guys swing by on Thursday afternoons for their weekend party supplies.
I’m reminded of why I never tried it. Twenty or so years ago, I read something that said when you smoked marijuana, elements from the drug could settle into your fat cells. Specifically in women, it could lie dormant in your eggs and eventually result in birth defects in your future children. That was enough for me. I politely declined to join my friends when joints got passed around, and frankly, felt a little smug about my decision to be drug-free. In the end, it would pay off with happy, healthy children, right?
Fast-forward and I’m now at the time in my life when it’s clear I won’t be having kids. And, you know what, I’m a little pissed. All those years I spent exercising, eating right, not drinking, not smoking, not doing drugs so that my body would support a pregnancy—all for squat!
So I think it’s time I start making up for my unnecessary sacrifices. I’m too afraid of jail to experiment with illegal substances (much to the relief of my fiancé, who is in law enforcement), but I am thinking a gluttonous feast of sushi, Lemon Drop martinis, and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate is in order.
Kathleen Guthrie is a Northern California–based freelance writer. She believes “Life is what happens when you’ve made other plans.”
I used to think the same way. In high school my mom actually talked me out of going into the Air Force and being a pilot because, “Won’t it be hard to have a family when you’ll be gone all the time?” Yeah, right Mom, thanks for that. I’m 36 now so it’s WAY too late for that one. One of the reasons I finally decided I couldn’t stay on the crazy train any longer was that life was miserable due to all the things I couldn’t do, or projects I couldn’t start, or plans I couldn’t make because “maybe” I would get pregnant and all that would have to change. Now I can live my life and do what I want. A part of me will probably remain bitter at the missed opportunities, but we can only go from where we are now. Oh, and I know lots of potheads who can drop babies at any time and the kids are all normal. Well, as much as can be with pothead moms.
Maybe too late for the Air Force, but have you signed up with lessons to get your pilot’s license? Go for it!!! 🙂
Colorado is another state where we have more medical marijuana dispensaries than we have liquor stores. Who knew that Colorado, a state with a population that is the least obese, incredibly active, and gets 300+ days of sunshine a year, would also have such a huge number of male, 18-34 year-old glaucoma patients? *sarcasm* I want to tell our state government: look, we all know what’s going on here. Just legalize it, tax the snot out of it like we do cigarettes, and nail the butts (no pun intended) of anyone caught driving under its influence to the wall, just like we do with alcoholic products and prescription medications.
I get your point about doing everything right from a health standpoint in hopes of delivering a healthy baby. And it’s still good advice, since the intelligent things you did as a young woman will help keep you healthy well into your sixties, seventies and eighties. As far as smoking pot, well, I took a couple of tokes at a party in my late twenties and then wondered what all of the fuss was about. The stuff didn’t affect me and I was left wondering why anyone would pay for a baggie of something that left one coughnig and gagging. If i wanted a decent buzz, I could just as easily get it from downing a few (legal) glasses of pinot noir, or a glass of warmed port after dinner. Pot simply wasn’t my thing. Right now, since I no longer have the parts to make a child, I’ve given myself permission to indulge in good dark 70% cacao chocolate on occasion, good espresso in a daily basis, a glass of good burgundy twice a week or so, and all of the extra hours of sleep I can manage.
Hear, hear! 🙂
I totally hear you!!! I refused my whole life to use the pill as a contraceptive for fear that it would mess with my hormones and my ability to conceive. Now I see so many women who get pregnant right after they go off the pill…Grrr! I did yoga, ate right, connected spiritually with my future child, stopped taking hot, hot baths for years while trying to conceive… All for nothing.
So today, I take baths all the time, relax with drinks or an occasional smoke to relax, take my vitamin C when I need it, drink soy milk, and try my best not to be aware of when I am ovulating, except to take advantage of some fun sex! : )
I still get a little (or a lot) down during that time of month, but the other 3 1/2 weeks are a lot more fun!