DH smokes cannabis in front of our kids

[cosIsaidso]

My DH is a chronic cannabis user who will never quit. He has been 'skinning up' in front of our children all their lives, he openly smokes in front of them, he takes them to his dealer's house when he scores and he doesn't really have any friends who don't share his habit. Although I try to be liberal minded, I can't help but worry about the effect his behaviour is having on the kids. When we met I just thought it wouldn't be a problem because tbh I shared his habit, then when the kids came along I sort of ignored the issue cos it was easier. If I make an issue out of it, it will cause loads of arguments etc, but I know he won't stop. Any pearls of wisdom from any of you that might help?

[SomeUsername]

How old are your children? Smoking isn't bad in and of itself, but smoking in front of children, whilst in care of them, and especially taking the to a drug dealers house is a big no-no. I think you need to have a long think about your children's future and where you want them to be when older.

I also feel the need to at least dispel some of the misinformation which certain people are propagating regarding legality of weed in the US.

Currently there are 23 states which allow medical marijuana. There are actually 4 states where it is legal for all use including recreational use (Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington.) Colorado has actually gained tax revenues from it's weed industry of over $70 million dollars in the past year. This has made other states sit up and take notice, so watch this space to see which others legalise - even Texas is getting in on the act. Whilst federally it is illegal, in all states where it has been legalised, the federal government had decided to not enforce federal law.

Just because America is on the road to legalization isn't an excuse to smoke it, but it's a sign of things to come. A couple of other countries are looking at the legalization route since America has gone that way, and whilst the lib dems are impotent at the moment, it's a route they want to push for too. Give it twenty years and it will be legal to buy here.

[Offred]

If you smoked a spliff around me I'd go ballistic too because a. it is illegal and I don't want you to involve me in your criminal activity b. I don't want to be exposed to your passive drug smoke. There isn't any such thing as passive drink.

The other things are public health arguments about the relative risks/harms of legalising cannabis and would be nothing to do with my individual objection to you smoking a spliff around me.

Sick of people who object to this being labelled as crazy illiberal people who should be focusing their attentions on alcohol. It is a different thing. Alcohol is nothing to do with weed. If you want weed legalised you have to show why not make an 'other things are arguably worse' argument. I think imposing your drug smoke on other people is about as illiberal as it gets and yes I do apply that to people smoking it in their gardens, on the street, in parks etc.

[Offred]

The vast majority of places in the world cannabis is illegal. Where it has been decriminalised or legalised it has not been so long enough to understand the effects on public health. Weed has been linked to psychosis and schizophrenia as a trigger in people who are prone to it but who may never have gone on to develop the illness.

Alcohol has never been known to trigger an underlying susceptibility to serious mental illness. It is known to exacerbate symptoms of low mood and can be incompatible with some medications also excessive use can be a symptom of mental illness or a maladaptive coping mechanism. Bit of a difference IMO.