In case you haven’t heard, the internet has a label for you! If you are a mom who enjoys smoking pot, congratulations, you are a weedmom.

Like a winemom, a weedmom is, as you may surmise, someone who has kids and smokes pot and really DGAF what other people have to say about it. A piece in The Atlantic explains the phenomena: “as it becomes more socially acceptable more moms are using marijuana to deal with everything from the daily stresses of motherhood – to postpartum depression and anxiety, to menstrual cramps… (to the point where) the needs of this market have inspired a new crop of cannabis products.”

So, yes, even moms enjoy marijuana. 

Whether a majority of women in midlife weren’t yet introduced to pot before the increasing normalization, or, if they just feel safer to talk about their use now, moms who smoke are now in the spotlight. And, culturally, this is great – more people sharing openly about it equals less stigma, less shame, less isolation, and more acceptance. The case with moms though, tends to be different – the judgement they’re subject to is of another breed.

All memes and jokes aside, moms get flak for smoking pot that others just don’t. Experts are quick to point out the slowed reaction time, potentially impaired coordination, and yeah, the evidence that use can be linked to other addictions, when it comes to moms. Hence, the subculture that’s formed here – blogs and communities like Splimm, Cannavist Mom and The Stoner Mom are a source of support where women can be lighthearted about their use, and the internet can lol at the memes that come out of it.

Though, some women have built careers out of a desire to end the stigma, and even make a compelling case for pot use among parents. Edibles company founder Jill Trinchero shared a compelling POV on High Times: “(Pot) has made me a better mother. There are times when I want to be a kind mother and I need to slow down and see what is most important, and sometimes cannabis can do that for me… You don’t want the stresses of being a parent to affect your children in any negative way. I want them to see me [as] kind and patient.”

THC use has been proven to reduce stress and relieve tension and anxiety, and the increased patience Trinchero alluded to is part of that. Obviously, the overuse of THC doesn’t result in these benefits – too much can lead to euphoria, more stress on the body, and distorted perception of time. And for pregnant women, risks can include (according to a NASEM report), giving birth to a baby with lower birth weight, though there’s limited evidence suggesting pregnancy complications.

Aside from the fact that personal use is personal, for people of all walks of life, is pot use for moms really, historically, statistically, any kind of cause for concern? This a medical gray area, witer Jessica Delfino discovered: “to further explore the effects of cannabis on babies from a medical standpoint, I asked three pediatricians if I could consume cannabis while breastfeeding my son. None of them could answer with certainty—all admitted to lacking the knowledge necessary to offer a conclusive yea or nay.”

Which begs the question: how are moms supposed to be educated on the topic when their doctors aren’t? With legalization on the horizon, more nuanced medical questions will hopefully be addressed and we can all make decisions that work for us, individually. And we won’t have to be so freaked out that Pam, Beth or Sherry next door might mess up their kids.