Shonitria Anthony: ‘Moms who smoke weed are not bad moms’
Shonitria Anthony is the creator of Blunt Blowin’ Mama, and there’s no doubt about her love and commitment to fighting the stigmas associated with motherhood and cannabis.
by Brittany Parker
Besides running a business, navigating her kindergartener’s virtual learning assignments, and potty training a toddler, Anthony moderates a judgment-free refuge for her 23k Instagram followers who agree with her mantra: Moms who smoke weed are not bad moms.
What started in 2017 as a casual Instagram account where Anthony openly embraced motherhood and cannabis has now blossomed into a safe haven for like-minded moms.
We know Black and White people smoke weed at the same rate so Black people and Black moms should also be positively represented and front-facing in cannabis.
– Shonitria Anthony
The goal behind Blunt Blowin’ Mama is to normalize weed while letting other cannabis-consuming moms know they’re not alone. Anthony does this by tapping into her journalism and social media skills to amplify stories and experiences from parents who consume cannabis and experts who discuss the plant and debunk misconceptions. Central to the discussion is the importance of embracing diversity within the cannabis community.
While working as a journalist and editor, Anthony began noticing a shift in the conversation.
“I started seeing more stories about stoner moms and moms choosing to smoke weed,” she recounted. “It was clear cannabis was becoming an industry, but these stories were never representative of me, my community, or what I saw growing up.”
Empowered, Anthony realized she could help normalize cannabis use from the perspective of a young Black mom who smokes weed, too.
Communication is key
The Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast taps doctors, nurses, and entrepreneurs to discuss topics like the latest research studies in cannabis. With over 90 podcast episodes since its launch in 2019, there is an episode for everyone; Anthony discusses commonly asked questions and shares stories of moms who consume.
When scrolling through comments and reviews, it doesn’t take long to identify with moms saying they feel seen for the first time, empowered, and glad to have finally found their village.
Anthony is no stranger to hearing sighs of relief from followers, especially parents who were seeking a cannabis community.
“One of the perks of creating Blunt Blowin’ Mama that I don’t talk about enough are the relationships I’ve made,” she said. “I don’t have time to feel judged. It’s important that my friends smoke weed, because if you step into my life, and you don’t understand cannabis, you won’t understand my life.”
Her suggestion for parents looking for their village is to participate in digital communities like Blunt Blowin’ Mama, Women Grow, and cannabis parenting Facebook groups. While it takes initiative and can be intimidating for some, Anthony often gets messages from moms who met through her community.
“Women have written me saying since following Blunt Blowin’ Mama, they’ve built their community and met mom friends by talking more about consuming cannabis. And that’s what it’s all about.”
Anthony is only gaining momentum. Her goal is to continue welcoming all cannabis parents to consume the informed content and stories she produces.
If one thing is certain, it’s that Anthony is living proof of the phrase she’s emblazoned on her merch: “Mom’s who smoke weed get shit done.”