Moms who consume cannabis are the fastest-growing consumer segment in the industry, yet stigmas and misconceptions are the strongest against them. In an effort to quell these biased depictions, we’re highlighting fearless cannabis-consuming moms who are here to create lasting impact in the industry.

To kick off our “Higher Frequency” series, we sat down with Keira Sumimoto, a passionate cannabis activist and founder of Cannabis & Parenthood, a safe space for parents to learn through direct access to the latest in trusted research and studies.

As a mother, she uses her own experience to bring awareness to the potential use of cannabis as a natural medicine during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. Her platform is also a way for her to connect with parents, especially mothers, during this life-changing, vulnerable, and challenging time.

Meet Keira.

What memory do you have of your first time smoking weed?

Wow, OK. The first time I smoked was when I was in university, I was about five years younger than everyone else. All of my friends were already like 18 or 20. And I was 15, 16. And they all smoked.

I had an abusive ex-boyfriend who overdosed on heroin and was in the hospital and his parents called me. So, I visited him and I watched him while they took out his life support. I stayed until the last heartbeat.

I went over to my friend’s house afterward. I’m sitting on the couch and they’re watching Lord of the Rings. One of my friends rolled a really thin joint because he understood that it was my first time smoking. And I sat down on the couch just smoking this tiny little joint watching Lord of the Rings. And he was in the kitchen making me spaghetti. And that was my first experience. I was so numb. What the hell just happened to me? What did I just see?

I was overstimulated. I was overemotional. But the cannabis definitely kept me grounded. And we didn’t even talk, really. It just was so beautiful, a really good moment. I’m really appreciative of him and of the plant because I probably would have turned to alcohol or something just to help figure it all out.

Did you consume cannabis while pregnant?

I did but I didn’t. I didn’t know I was pregnant until four or five months in. So until I found out, I was consuming and was dabbing at that time. Dabbing was really popular three years ago.

Part of me thinks I didn’t know [I was pregnant] because I was consuming. I didn’t even feel any of those symptoms, like morning sickness. I ended up halting my consumption when I found out I was pregnant and about a week before I went to my OB-GYN for my first appointment. My doctor asked me, do you smoke? And I said yes. She didn’t think that was very funny. But I told her, “I did smoke. Cannabis is legal here. I have my medical card.”

It was a little uncomfortable. She seemed uncomfortable with it because I was asking her questions like, “What do you think about cannabis and pregnancy? Does it affect the fetus that’s across the placenta?” I was bombarding this woman with questions because I expected her to know them if she’s asking me those questions. She didn’t direct me to more information.

I did stop consuming because I was on their radar as the “troublemaker” and I didn’t have any information. My relationship with my OB and my doctor was so distant because I was so unimpressed with them, their information, and their knowledge.

What led you to decide to start consuming cannabis again after giving birth?

And after I gave birth, they gave me these pain medications because I think that’s just default. I went home, I dumped them out because having pain medicine in my house is a big no-no. That’s like that’s a full-on narcotic, a drug, in my mind.

Cannabis is a plant to me and I ended up micro-dosing with edibles while I was breastfeeding because there was some pain. For me personally, I didn’t experience too much pain with childbirth. But, breastfeeding is a whole other thing. I chose to microdose because I wanted to be a conscious, intentional consumer. I wanted to use the minimum amount because I genuinely didn’t know how much THC passes through the breast milk. From all the research and studies I’ve looked at, some THC does pass through breast milk, but very little. And at that point, it’s not even considered active THC.

But I did that for a while until my daughter stopped breastfeeding, which was like six months. That’s when I went back into my regular consumption. I wasn’t dabbing. It was more just pre-rolls and maybe a bong hit here or there whenever I felt like I needed it, because newborn life is really tough!

How did cannabis help you as a new mom?

I think that this is something that people don’t really talk about it, but what I’ve found to be the most difficult when I was a new mom. No one really talks about this part when it comes to motherhood and it really sucks. When a baby’s born, we celebrate the baby. And you completely forget the mother completely. A mother is also born at the same time. And I think people just don’t really realize that or celebrate it.

So, when I became a mom, especially coming into being a mom with no mother and anything to reference, it was terrifying. And everyone was giving the baby all of this attention, which I loved. But I felt like “I’m also here,” and it was really isolating. I’m not blaming anybody. It’s just the way it is.

It was just so lonely. No one sees it because it’s accepted and it’s just normal. Yes, it’s a happy and exciting and joyous experience, but it’s also very hard and challenging. Cannabis helped me be my own company. I could just relax with myself. I was my own company for a while.

Do you consume in front of your daughter?

I smoke mainly. I don’t smoke in front of her because of the second-hand smoke. When I do consume, I find my own little area because it really has nothing to necessarily do with her. But, I do intend to teach her about cannabis. I didn’t really learn about the negative aspects of cannabis. I plan on teaching her the good, the bad, and the ugly – “this what it does, this is what it’s good for, this is why there are so many laws attached.” I’ll give all of the information I can give her.

Tell me about Cannabis & Parenthood. What’s coming up for it?

Before I started Cannabis & Parenthood, and I was a professional baker, so it was just a complete switch to what I was doing, but I felt that it was so needed because I couldn’t find anything. That frustrated me. I am trying to fill a gap by providing information and resources.

I think I’m going to write Cannabis & Parenthood for a while. There aren’t a lot of tests, there aren’t a lot of studies, especially right now due to the pandemic, a lot of things for this topic have been put on hold and moves slowly. I do want to focus more on the community, because I’ve been focusing a lot on the studies and the articles, but I actually like getting people to talk and relate.

What’s the biggest change you want to see in this industry?

I’d like to see more women. I want to see more women in positions of power when it comes to cannabis. I want to see more moms involved. I think that the mom market in the cannabis space is just massive, but nobody wants to talk about it. When I was organizing events before the pandemic, it was a shock and a shame that companies refused to be involved just because of the topic. It made them uncomfortable. But, I still did it. I just reached out to more female-owned businesses and it became this beautiful, very successful thing.

What’s your favorite thing to do while high?

Eat. If you haven’t had this, I recommend it. Take Haribo gummy bears and dark chocolate M&Ms and put them in your mouth. It’s delicious.

I also just do what I like to do. I play Star Wars Battlefront. I do something that I want to say is yoga but it’s more like a yoga-slash-interpretive dance. It’s really weird but it’s so comfortable. I just do whatever I want, whenever I want. Usually, it’s something creative.

Speaking of creativity, tell us more about Fae Reserve!

It’s going well. It’s evolving. I’m getting bored. So, it’s evolving into something that I’m excited to explore. I started Fae Reserve because I needed an outlet. Fae Reserve is a reality that I created because sometimes I just feel very uncomfortable in my own. It’s really challenging to be yourself. So, with Fae Reserve, I can create something that I really like in my life, my vision, and it makes me feel very comfortable and in control.

When I’m sculpting with clay, it’s also when I sift through my childhood to observe, understand, and process. It’s like my own kind of therapy, which is why it’s evolving as quickly as it is. It started from making roach clips and now I’m going to go somewhere completely different that will involve tech.

Educate yourself, know what you’re smoking, understand what you’re smoking, and smoke with intention.

Do you have any advice for other parents?

Educate yourself, know what you’re smoking, understand what you’re smoking, and smoke with intention. I think that is most important because we live in a world where, unfortunately, cannabis is looked down upon, especially if you’re a parent, and even more so if you’re a mother.

I’ve unfortunately had CPS (Child Protective Services) come to my door once, if that happens, you need to know what to do and how to handle it. And you need to understand the system. You need to understand the laws within your state. Because if they come knocking on your door and you don’t know anything, they assume that you’re irresponsible. Understand how all of this affects you and your kids.

And the last question, what does living in high vibration mean to you?

Oh, wow. Fun, but deep fun. I am constantly in this state, for as long as I can remember, I’m very big on observing your behavior and your actions and the consequences, positive or negative. I’m into understanding your existence and how your existence affects or ripples to others and to other things. So I consider being present with you yourself, not what’s around you, as a high vibe.

Cannabis can help bring you back to that center. Sometimes there’s just so much going on. But, if you are really centered, those things kind of just work out for themselves. I know that sounds crazy, but they do.