Wendy Brazill joins Diana Krach to talk about her book, "Why Mommy Gets High".
In this episode, Diana Krach is joined by Wendy Brazill to discuss her book, "Why Mommy Gets High". The two delve into the inspiration behind the book, which explores the taboo topic of moms who use cannabis. Wendy shares her experience with cannabis and motherhood and discusses the stigma surrounding the issue. Diana and Wendy also address the potential benefits and risks of cannabis use for parents, as well as the legal implications. Overall, the conversation sheds light on an often-overlooked topic and provides valuable insights for parents who may be curious about cannabis use.
0:15- A quick note
1:54 - Welcome to Your Highness Podcast
2:40 - Fave pot
6:50 - Fave not pot
14:28 - Main Segment
30:53 - Call to action and where can people find you?
Important links:
Speaker 1 0:15
Hello, this is your host, Diana crash. Before we begin this episode, I would just like to say that if there's anything that you want to hear on this podcast, or if you have any feedback at all about our show, we would love to hear it. Not only will we love to hear it, but we will reward you for giving us that feedback, we will send you a gift from one of our past guests, so email any kind of feedback that you may have to Your Highness podcast@gmail.com. We are also postponing our July 1 event. So if you were planning on attending, please subscribe to our Your Highness podcast newsletter on substack for updates because it will still happen later this summer. Before we get to this episode, a quick note from our sponsor ever feel like life stress gets to be too much. Welcome to meet your Gaia, your natural wellness partner. We are the number one rated provider of kratom. A 100% natural plant based solution used in Asia for centuries to help increase focus, energy and relaxation. Want to know more? Use the code YH pod to get 10% off your first order today. That's Meacher gaia.com. And code y h pod for 10%. Off. You're listening to your highness podcast, I'm your host, Diana crash. So we're here today with Wendy Brazil, the author of why Mommy gets Hi. How are you doing today, Wendy?
Speaker 2 2:08
I'm good. I'm really good. I'm so happy to be here.
Speaker 1 2:13
I'm happy you're here as well. And I am happy that you are so patient with me because today has been a day.
Unknown Speaker 2:23
We're just getting
Speaker 1 2:23
through right we're getting through it. It's hot in here. And I just made it hotter by accident by almost setting fire. But anyway, we're moving on. We're going to start this episode as we do every episode with our faith pot in faith, not pot. And if you're new to the podcast, this segment is our recurring segment where we talk about our favorite cannabis related item and our favorite non cannabis related item at the moment. And my fav pot right now is actually not a product, it is a thing as in like it's an app. Okay. It's called the Hi there app. And it's, it's a nice, I want to say it's an alternative to Instagram and Twitter and all of that. But it is kind of its own thing. It's a social media app for cannabis consumers. And you don't have the same restrictions you do on other social media platforms. And it started out as a dating app, I believe. And now they have a podcast. They have articles that they regularly release, they regularly release. Our friend Danielle Simone brand is one of their contributors. And they have a podcast called Social sesh, which I was recently on. So you can check that episode out if you download the app. But I think you can actually get the podcast episode on any of your favorite podcast platforms. It's called Social sesh. And the hosts are just so lovely. And they've been in the cannabis journalism field for a very long time. So they really understand what I'm dealing with. So it was it was a great episode, and I recommend you check it out.
Speaker 2 4:20
Is it spelled h i g h? Yes, I know. Hi. Yah. Yah. Hi, there. Hi, there. Oh, I'm so gonna get that that sounds cool. Yeah, it
Speaker 1 4:29
is cool. It's cool. Because that you can like scroll through and see pictures of people in your area. Like you can even get specific with the location of who you want to connect with. So it's really cool and they're doing a lot of things to to add to it in the future as well. So I would say stay tuned. I will so what's your favorite part right now Wendy?
Speaker 2 4:58
Um, well, I Very into the low dose, I gotta tell you, I really, I'm really enjoying some of the brands are coming out with some low dose pot that you don't feel like you're going to outer space and you can still manage getting through a grocery store. And it just, it's really nice when my favorites I brought a little packet or the drew Martin's pretty packaging and, and I really I just, I I'm so over this, I call it guy weed, you know, because it seems like it's just all this crazy stuff. You know, even the edibles and some of the drinks that they're coming out with are so high in milligrams that, you know, give me a nice low dose. Yeah, that's where I'm at right now.
Speaker 1 5:48
Yeah. I feel that. And that's a really pretty package. Really is I believe we even featured that brand in the cannon curious magazine. Oh, did you? Okay, we did. Yeah,
Speaker 2 6:01
they're great. It's a local company for me to hear it in LA. So I like that. And then as far as projects, it's always less personal. You know, that's what we're all working towards as far as cannabis, you know, freeing the people that are still imprisoned over cannabis and we've offenses. So last prisoner, I try and throw a little money at them whenever I can. And they're doing great work. So that's the last two? Yes.
Unknown Speaker 6:36
Just for people who don't know. I'll put the link in the show notes for that as well.
Speaker 1 6:44
And that's, that's a good cause. I like that. So my fav, not pot right now. I'm trying to focus on podcast in this episode, if you haven't noticed, I have a theme here. Yeah. I'm a huge podcast fan. And mean, it's not just because I'm a podcaster. But I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. And I listened to so many different things. I listened to true crime I listened to, you know, analytical type recaps political. I mean, pretty much. In every category, I have a podcast that I listened to. And one in particular is one of my all time faves is called if books could kill. And, and I've probably mentioned it on this podcast before. But it's it's a podcast, where they take a really popular book that has influenced pop culture in a very significant way. They call them airplane books, you know, or airport books, not airplane books. You know what I mean? Like where you see the best sellers at the Barnes and Noble and you're killing time between connecting flights. So they, what they do is they unpack the book and they they go behind who wrote it and what was going on at the time and why it became so popular. And they don't necessarily critique it, but they do show different sides to like, this was the feedback. This was the push back. This was you know, and you get to make up your own mind, but they also kind of move the veil aside, so to speak, so that you can see like, why the hype was created behind these books and stuff.
Speaker 2 8:36
Are they all new books? Are they all different periods?
Speaker 1 8:39
Oh, all different. Like they did kill? Yes. They think of one that they just did. They did Malcolm Gladwell. Which one was it? Anyway, I'm blanking. But they do all like right now. I just saw an alert that they have one for today that came out about the world is flat. That book. So
Speaker 2 9:12
I have a friend who just left her husband over him thinking the world's flat what? Yeah, yeah. Can you imagine how you deal with that one?
Unknown Speaker 9:21
Yes.
Unknown Speaker 9:25
After after 28 years.
Speaker 1 9:27
Wow. So wait, they were married that whole time. And she didn't know that he thought that the world was flat.
Speaker 2 9:33
You know, I just don't think that they ever really had that conversation. But he started going down more and more conspiracies and believing all this crazy stuff. And she was just like, wow, I'm I'm I can't I can't roll with this anymore. Wow. Good for her. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 9:50
Because I've seen people just be like, Well, I mean, we're already married.
Unknown Speaker 9:54
We're already married. All right. I'll stay with the dummy. Yeah,
Speaker 1 9:56
it's already been 28 years. 20 more so what's your favorite pot right now?
Speaker 2 10:08
My favorite pot? Well, I'm really into the show Yellow Jacket. Yeah.
Speaker 1 10:17
But I already made it mine like Two episodes ago. So I thought I will do podcast this episode. Yes, it did. Yeah, the ending theme.
Unknown Speaker 10:27
I mean, I haven't seen Wait, is there a new one? That we're
Speaker 1 10:30
I don't know, just the last the series the season finale
Unknown Speaker 10:34
of season three? Yes. I don't know
Speaker 1 10:38
if I don't know she's a last one No, no. to it since Season Two. Season two?
Speaker 2 10:42
Yeah. No, I don't know if I Well, no, I've seen the end of season two. Oh, sure. Okay, give me a little reminder what's happening.
Speaker 1 10:51
I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But I feel like you're talking about yellow jackets and not like without people without spoiling it. So it's hard to say like Juliette
Speaker 2 11:03
Lewis is so good at it. I mean, everybody, the whole cast is amazing. I just I haven't had a show that I'm that excited to turn on in the evening. Yeah, I'm only allowing myself one episode. Yes. Just so that I can draw it out as long as possible.
Speaker 1 11:21
Yeah, it's not a show to binge all in one sitting. But it's definitely a show that keeps me like it's hard to keep me seated for a long time. Yeah, that same issue. Yeah. And so that's one of the only ones where I'm like, literally on the edge of my seat. And who did they end up with a cliffhanger.
Speaker 2 11:40
And then you just carry it the next day. Like it just stays with you. And
Speaker 1 11:49
I'm like sitting there. Just questioning randomly, like, deep. Do you think they did? Is she supposed to like, I'll just be talking to my husband about something else? Completely different. I'll be like, so do you think that Lottie
Speaker 2 12:03
and those those kid actors are great girls? I mean, I don't know them from any other shows. And I don't know how they did that. Perfect casting.
Speaker 1 12:13
Yeah, it's really good. They are. It's fantastic. And I'm I'm kind of bummed out that they didn't give us at least two more episodes of the season. Like I have to go the whole summer and probably whole year. Well, now with the writers strike. I mean, it might be
Speaker 2 12:33
now they're talking about an actor strike. And my kid is on a show called hacks. I don't know if you've ever Yes. Is Hannah, Hannah and binder. She's the she's the writer, the young writer. Yeah. Good. So we are hoping that she'll get back to
Unknown Speaker 12:56
that is such a great show.
Speaker 2 12:57
Isn't it so good. My other Okay, that's gonna be my other non pot. Okay. Watch hot hacks. Yeah, it's my, my husband's daughter, but I get to i i get to call her mind too. are super proud of her.
Speaker 1 13:12
That is, that is so cool. And I just love that show. Because, like, it's uncomfortable sometimes. But in a in a way that makes you like, think about yourself. Like why are you uncomfortable? Like you it kind of like you work things out? Like feel. Watching it?
Speaker 2 13:31
It really. I feel as though it's a really good portrayal of our art 20 something? What would they be? They millennials, I guess are millennials.
Unknown Speaker 13:42
I'm 40. And I'm still considered a millennial.
Speaker 2 13:45
So they're the Gen Z. Yeah.
Speaker 1 13:50
Yeah. It is. It is a great portrayal of that for sure. And I think that why am I blanking Jean?
Unknown Speaker 13:59
Jean? No, it's the other
Unknown Speaker 14:03
G Yes. Oh, she see. Oh,
Speaker 2 14:07
no. We'll go through all the genes. Yeah, she's really good. She's just and the two of them together is is just magic. It
Speaker 1 14:18
is. Honestly the two they're just they really go through it. They really go through it. Alright, so now we're going to talk about another form of media, your book. Switching gears a little bit. And when we get high? Yes. And it's such a lovely book. I read it last night and I can't wait to get my print copy. So is this the beginning of a series?
Speaker 2 14:48
No. I'm a one and done but I tell other women or dads because I get that all the time. Why don't you write one for dads or why don't you write one for grandmas And then like I already wrote mine, I self published through Amazon, it's easier than you think. And there should be a lot of these books on bookshelves, I I'm really hoping that we'll see more because I do believe it's something that should be discussed. And you know this, the sooner the better, the more normalized it is, the easier it is to have conversation, kids, really, they know when you're being sneaky. And then they start wondering what's going on. If we're just honest with them, they're going to be honest with us. So I wrote this book, mostly because I wished I'd had it. And it was during COVID. And there wasn't really a lot of lot of stuff to do. So I just started to write this book. And I read through and found on Instagram, a illustrator, I looked at tons of illustrators, but I looked at this met this illustrator because she did video games. She was used to doing people. Because a lot of the illustrator, yeah, a lot of the illustrators I talked to wanted to make us into a family of bears, or family of pigs, or a family of, you know, skunks, and I just wanted it to be people. I mean, my kids always reacted biggest to seeing other children in books. Like they loved that book, baby faces. And so I wanted to be a mom and for girls,
Speaker 1 16:33
that is really cool, because they can see themselves in that book. And that is so important when you're trying to teach them about any form of plant medicine. In the book, you reference a flower that is grown in the garden, but you don't actually use the word cannabis in the book. Yeah, what terminology would you recommend using when discussing cannabis with your kids?
Speaker 2 16:57
When I talked about it, I was called the flower or we'd, you know, we'd have flowers. I did that mostly because we have so many states. Still. At the time, we had 32 I think we're up to 36 now that have recreational marijuana. And I, you know, I really have a lot of compassion for those families that are in states where it is not legal and their children go to school. And if they had the wrong terminology could could run into trouble. I was really
Unknown Speaker 17:36
smart. So it was really important
Speaker 2 17:38
to make this a book that, you know, most families could digest. And they can call it whatever they want, whatever they're comfortable with calling it. But I always just called it flower. You know, little girls love flowers, and they didn't really think anything of the word flower when I talked to my nieces and my nephews. And so
Speaker 1 18:01
I like to I use the word flower a lot. I mean, I haven't really figured out what to call it yet with my son. Yeah.
Speaker 2 18:07
Yeah, I don't really love mommy medicine because I don't like interested in medicine. I try and avoid medicine because there's nothing wrong with me. Right? So you know, I'm just I'm not, I'm not, you know, I get that all the time. Why do you use the word high? Call it medicine? I'm like, high is wonderful. Higher education, higher learning? I, you know, I heard thinking,
Speaker 1 18:35
I mean, I agree with you, 100%. But I think that, because we are all conditioned as a society to believe that high is bad. And yet, like you just pointed out, it is used in so many instances that are supposed to be good. And so I think your book is so interesting, because it is leaving it up to the reader basically to handle this conversation. But it also kind of bends your mind a little bit because you're saying it's it's a flower and that's what it is, right? It's a flower and I grow it in the garden. But then other people it makes mommy feel good, right? But then people who can't grow it in their garden are not right. They're not there. I don't think mentally when you're talking about it being a flower that you grow in the garden. So I guess I think this book could help a lot with that. But I guess what I'm trying to wonder is what is an alternative to using like, what is an alternative for high that is acceptable? I'm not asking that you you answer. Yeah, it's just more of a theoretical like, how do we how do we as cannabis friendly cannabis consumers, you know, parents, all of that in this group.
Unknown Speaker 19:55
Let's just call it we're enlightened.
Speaker 1 19:57
I do like that a lot. I like that. So I think that's the best answer is,
Speaker 2 20:03
we had a reading with a couple of moms and kids. And when the mom was reading it to a couple of kids a couple of weeks ago, and she said, or that we grow in the yard or buy at the store. And I thought that was cute like, because she doesn't personally grow it, she wanted them to know that you could also buy it at a store. So, you know, I'm hoping that as moms read in dads read it and grandmas read it, that they will kind of interject their own personal part. You know, I put in there. After an especially hard day, mommy may slip away, but it could also be after a specially good day, mommy may slip away. So
Speaker 1 20:49
that is that is I think that's so interesting. And it's got me thinking a lot now. Because, you know, you really don't think about what they say in school, right? When you're reading these books, but my son especially is the type that will repeat exactly what he hears in a book. He repeats whole books, and it's it's really cute. But also I wonder sometimes.
Speaker 2 21:17
Well, hopefully after July 1, things will be a little bit better in Maryland. It'll take a while
Unknown Speaker 21:23
it will take a while it will take a very long while.
Speaker 2 21:27
Have you found a pretty good group of women though it in your area that you can
Speaker 1 21:33
know. I've had some people tell me that. I mean, I know people are listening to this podcast in my area. Hi, if you're listening in Bel Air, Harford County. But have I found them? No, not necessarily. There's a couple here and there. But this Yeah, it's my my group of Canna moms is virtual right now. And I feel like that's the case for a lot of Canada moms honestly. And it can be a weird disconnect when you're out in the world. And you want to make that connection and say, but then you don't know how to break the ice, so to speak. So books like this are great, because if you have a play date or something, you know, you can just have it out and see what the reaction is. And
Speaker 2 22:21
absolutely, that's, that's one of the funniest things is I took to my niece's baby shower. And so she unwrapped it, and she heard her husband, he used to work at a dispensary. They looked at it and they were like, Oh, I guess we're gonna find out our next customers. And it was just on the board, you know, and the grandparents were like looking at it like, oh, I used to smoke pot in mind. You know, it definitely got conversations rolling even among the the adults
Speaker 1 22:59
isn't. It's like, We're all afraid to discuss this in public. And then it's one of in my opinion, one of the topics that can make almost anybody have a conversation with somebody else that they don't they normally never would you know that it is genuinely an icebreaker that is unlike I feel any other because there's so many different connections to it. You know, it's, it's not like, oh, even if you don't smoke it, even if you've never smoked in your whole life or head in any cannabis in your body, you know, someone who has, and you have a story to tell in some way. And even if it's like, oh, I'm curious about that, like, I always wondered, Oh, I wonder if it will help him my pain. And so I feel like that is really awesome that you brought that too. And it just goes right into my next question about if you've used this in a family setting as an icebreaker or have you given it to a friend who has done the same thing.
Speaker 2 24:04
I've given it to lots of friends and I you know, it's It seems it's funny, because when you're in mixed crowd, I would say even now, you know, there are a lot of people who when they look at it, they go oh, I just I think that's wrong to talk to your children about we. And it's a good jumping off point. Why do you think it's wrong and what's what's so wrong with weed and it makes people lazy. I have found that to be the case that, you know, some of these some of the weed moms and the moms that I talked to or some of the hardest working, motivated people I've ever met. So, you know, there goes that misnomer. So yes, we it's definitely a very popular gift for me to give out. Because I gotta Moxa
Speaker 1 25:01
so your message is almost like normalizing the word Hi. And kind of looking at it in a different way, the word itself, you know, like, what does it take away all the negative connotations of the word high,
Speaker 2 25:16
it's that and it's just fun to say why Mommy gets high. You know, when I had my girlfriend and I, when we were young moms, and she and I were probably the only two that really hard to cook. And so whenever we went anywhere, you know, she and I, we would, rather than opening a beer or a glass of wine, we would just kind of slip out back for a few minutes. And inevitably, every single time, you know, we come back into the party, and one of our kids were either on the top bunk you thinking they could fly or whatever it was. And she and I would look at each other and kind of give each other a little rib, and we'd go, and that's why Mommy gets high. And that's why Mommy gets high, you know, or they make a mess, or you have an accident when Yeah, was so that that's why Mommy gets high, you know.
Speaker 1 26:04
And that's why that's so funny. I love that
Speaker 2 26:07
it was always a little saying we have between the two of us just as our little private joke, that sounds so when I found my list of things I wanted to do, when I was a grown up, I had made a list. I don't know if I ever told if I told you this part yet, but I found an old journal during COVID. When I was cleaning everything up, I found an old journal, and I had a list of things that wanted to do. And one of them that I hadn't done was write a book. So then I just started thinking about, you know, what could I write a book about? And I thought, What do I know about? Well, I know about kids a little bit and I know about getting high. So just seemed like the natural leap. And I've been really excited that people have responded so well and so positively for the most part.
Speaker 1 27:06
It's a big shock. And I have to say, I see myself in this book as a child because the scenes where you're painting and you have paints out like that's just I grew up with an art teacher. A lot of artists in my family. Wow, that those pictures are like, Oh, okay, I can I can connect to that scene.
Speaker 2 27:28
And those, those paintings are actually my my art my my paintings. This is one behind me. And that's beautiful. I went ahead and put in my own painting. This is a little private plug.
Speaker 1 27:42
You have to honestly, and I think that's genius. And your artwork is gorgeous. I checked it out before we did this today. But yeah, no, thank you for putting this out there. This is a beautiful thing that you're doing. And I'm just just in awe of, of your message and your artwork. And you as a human
Speaker 2 28:06
well mommies out there given, go ahead and write your own there's it's really not that hard. And Amazon makes it so easy to Self Publish. And I would love to see more of these books from all different types of families. You know, we have Miss B kindness who has her book. And there's what's growing grandma's garden? Let's see. It's just a plant. Yep. So they're, they're starting to be a few more. Yeah. But, you know, the sooner we talk to our kids, the less they think about it. Yeah. And it doesn't, you know, it's going to be an ongoing conversation. It's not a one and done. The Daniel Smith brand said in the article a candidate's curious, yes. That it's an ongoing conversation as they grow. They have more questions and you know, when they smell it out. I know my little niece whenever she smelled it, she's like, smells like mommy.
Speaker 1 29:09
I don't know that my son's Well, I don't really smoke flower around him, but Right. It's only because of honestly, it's it's the situation right now. It's situational. But he I think he has seen me use like a vape or something like that. And he thinks the vapor is funny. So you know, I know the conversation is ongoing, and we always have to change it, depending on the age and the legality and the accessibility and all of that and there's so much to consider and so I'm going to plug something. So as you mentioned, Danielle Simone brand, writing the article and this recent issue of Canna curious magazine first, go order a copy of the Canna curious magazine issue. But is that really good? Yes, it's It is a good issue. Secondly, Danielle and I are working on a new project about, it's a podcast project, and you will be able to preview that project on our sister podcast getting personal plant medicine. And we will also be putting it in the Your Highness thread later this summer. So stay tuned for that. And you will be involved with that as well, Wendy, so Oh, I
Speaker 2 30:29
look forward to it. Hey, Diana. So would you feel comfortable reading this book to your son? Or do you feel as though because it's not? Don't use yet until July 1? You feel as though it's something that he may take to other people's houses?
Speaker 1 30:46
Oh, no, I'm not worried about that. No, I will be reading this to him. So before we end, is there any call to action that you have? And where can people find you?
Speaker 2 31:00
Instagram or Tiktok. It's why Mommy gets high. And Amazon of course, just go ahead and Amazon that up and it'll be in your mailbox in 48 hours. It's amazing how fast these things come.
Speaker 1 31:17
I will put the link in the show notes. Thank you. Thank you again for spending time with me today. I appreciate what you're doing. And I appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 2 31:29
I appreciate you too. Thank you so much for finding me or maybe I found you but I'm glad we found each other and yeah, I look forward to future podcasting and hopefully someday meeting in real life. Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1 31:43
Until next time, stay high and beautiful by this episode of Your Highness podcast is brought to you by nature gaia.com meter gaia.com is giving listeners a 10% off discount when they use the code YH pod. That's why H pod at Mitragia.com, a top rated kratom company. Also, you can keep up on the recent events and all the news surrounding our show by subscribing to our substack your highest newsletter. This episode was edited and produced by James crash and myself Diana crash and is a production of Your Highness media. intro music is brought to you by your mom likes my music. Thank you for listening
Transcribed by https://otter.