VICTORIA -- A West Shore mother is making waves on the internet after sharing a social media posting asking why cannabis use is met with considerable stigma, while other substances – like alcohol – are seen in a different light.
Jannine MacKinnon, who runs the popular "eeasymomroutines" Instagram page, expressed her views on responsible cannabis use to her more than 21,000 followers in February.
The post quickly became one of her most popular, resonating with almost 400,000 people.
"I actually sat on it for about a month before posting it," she said. "I was very nervous with how it was going to come across. I hadn't talked about cannabis at all on my account."
But now that she has, MacKinnon says that many mothers have reached out to her saying they share her habits, and her concerns.
Claire Bowman is a mom of two and suffered from anxiety and depression, until she tried medicinal marijuana.
"We see alcohol so much on T-shirts and mugs and memes," said Bowman. "I tried (cannabis) and I thought, 'Why don't moms talk about this?'"
For Bowman and MacKinnon, the intent is to use small, day-to-day domestic doses.
"(I use) just a tiny amount from my vape pen," said Bowman. "I don't see anything wrong with having low, responsible doses around your kids."
After MacKinnon's Instagram post went viral, she says the experience inspired her to work on a cannabis safety guidebook for moms.
"I got a flood of comments and DMs (direct messages)," she said. "People (were) thanking me and saying they feel so much less alone."
