Time just flies by when you’re talking to Shonitria Anthony. Whether it’s her infectious energy or her sharp observations, when she has something to say, you know you’ve got to listen.

Shonitria’s platform Blunt Blowin’ Mama is a loud reminder of the importance of equity and representation in the cannabis space, especially among women, and most importantly, among moms. Our conversation with her for today’s Higher Frequency spotlight had us going deep into these issues. Blunt Blowin’ Mama started out as a need for Shonitria, a new mother at the time, to feel supported and represented as a high-functioning black womxn and cannabis user. Now, it is a multi-faceted lifestyle platform, with a diverse and engaged community, thriving podcast, and fashion line. She’s the epitome of a mama who can do it all.

Her secret? Well, read on to find out. Meet Shonitria.

Can you share your first weed experience?

The first time I smoked weed, I was like 18 years old and I was with my best friend at the time. She had started smoking weed. And she was like, you have to try it. I trust her, so we smoked. And she did all of the steps for me, which was a wonderful thing. She loaded the bowl, gave me the pipe, lit it for me. I’ll never forget that because I was like, oh my gosh. This is so many steps. She was definitely showing me the ropes that first couple of times. And then it became second nature.

Now, whenever I’m with somebody, and I find out it‘s their first time, I’m always very gentle and helpful about answering questions. I just like keeping my eye on them, because I know what it’s like to be a novice.

Why did you consume cannabis while you were pregnant despite what the doctors say?

Well, my first pregnancy, I didn’t smoke at all during the nine months I was pregnant and for about 15 months while breastfeeding my daughter. And actually, that is why I smoked during my second pregnancy. I read a lot of studies, but they made no sense. How are you going to say that cannabis is bad, but you’re going to look at alcohol and cigarettes in the same setting.

My own personal experience is what told me that I needed to consume cannabis when I decided to have another baby, because I was miserable. I was not ready for what being pregnant would do to my body. It was a healthy pregnancy. But emotionally, I was a wreck, and I had no idea why. I was emotionally all over the place and so hormonal along with my body changing. I was just really overwhelmed.

I wasn’t getting the proper stress relief that I could in the form of cannabis. After more than two years, I smoked, and I got it right away. This is the reason why my life has been in shambles for the past two years. That’s when I made a vow to myself that when and if I decided to have another baby, I’m going to consume cannabis for that pregnancy. And, I did. And, I don’t regret it.

I’ve found this to be similar among other moms. They don’t use cannabis during their first [pregnancy]. But for subsequent pregnancies, they decide to incorporate cannabis a little bit more in different ways. It’s unfortunate that it has to be like a literal trial and error your own personal life to figure out what you need to do instead of through consultations with a medical professional to guide you through these things.

photographer Aleah Clark

Do you feel the War on Drugs and cannabis’ history has influenced how forthcoming the black and brown community is about cannabis use, even if consuming consciously?

Absolutely. The war on drugs has devastated black and brown communities in ways that we’re just starting to really understand. It’s devastating when a member, typically a male member, of the house is arrested for selling weed to provide for his family. The father and bread-winner is gone and that affects the whole dynamics of the family. It wrecks the family.

Then, you zoom out and you look at what happens once they’re released from prison. They still can’t participate in the cannabis industry, even if they have the knowledge, because of their record. There are so many ways in which the war on drugs has literally tried to lock black and brown people out of the industry. We’ve seen the research that says black and white people smoke weed at the same rate, but black people get arrested more. There are white people in this industry making a lot of money hand over fist. But when black or brown people try to smoke weed, you’re still facing a stigma. When you’re black or brown and you have weed on you, almost without a shadow of a doubt, it means you’re either going to prison or could end up dead.

I think that a lot of the hesitation from a lot of black and brown folks from entering the cannabis industry out of fear of losing their freedom, which is a very valid concern. We all know that this is real because of racism. Black and brown people smoke weed and have been smoking weed forever. But, we are not in this industry because of lack of knowledge, education, capital and we have to deal with the stigma. When you’re attacked in so many ways, it’s really hard to pull yourself back together to get in the position to even consider it and generate wealth in this industry.

But, there are some black moms who do consume cannabis openly like Tyler Therapy and Tammy of The Cannabis Cutie. So, we’re out here. But it’s not a lot of us that’s why I felt it was important to start this. I didn’t see myself represented in this space. I needed to create this so that people can be put on notice that black moms smoke weed. As moms are pushing for this and get more attention, there needs to be a black and brown mom right there with the white mom. Because it can’t just be something approved for white moms and black moms get CPS visits.

So, we’re out here. But it’s not a lot of us that’s why I felt it was important to start this. I didn’t see myself represented in this space. I needed to create this so that people can be put on notice that black moms smoke weed.

How has cannabis helped you as a parent?

How has it not helped is the better question! A woman might not be comfortable about consuming during pregnancy. But, she should definitely consume during postpartum because there’s just so much happening with your body. You’re not sleeping, you’re not showering, you’re not eating the way you should or drinking water as much as you should, because you’re trying to adjust to your new normal. It’s enough to drive you over the edge. Even if you have had a baby before, that first month is really like a hazing. I imagine the inside of your body is going haywire.

Having cannabis really helped me with postpartum. I had a c-section and it also helped me with my recovery. I waited a month before smoking again, but looking back, I thought I shouldn’t have been taking the pain pills and should have just smoked a joint instead.

I don’t want to be that mom who’s always snippy or short with my kids. I want to be present and cannabis allows me to sit down, play with my kids, and get goofy. I’ll go to the bathroom really quickly and take a rip from my bong, and then go watch sesame street and build blocks! That’s what I do. I don’t think I would be a good mom at all without cannabis, I’m not going to lie.

Blunt Blowin’ Mama touches so many mothers. How has it helped you grow?

It’s helped me a lot. It’s really helped me learn how to run a business. And everything I’ve learned as a journalist, such as ethics and being objective, has helped me tell people what others have done so they can be best informed for themselves.

I get messages like “I found your account and it helped me be ok with smoking and I have a healthy baby.” whenever I get questions, I try to respond, and moms actually follow up and show me photos of their babies. And that is really all that matters. I just want them to know that they’re not alone because for so long, I felt like I was.

This platform has taught me that we all have more in common than we have differences. We have the same experiences, and we need each other. We try to go through life alone and figure out the answers ourselves. But, oftentimes it just feels lonely. We all just need support and we’re all just trying to do the best that we can.

This platform has taught me that we all have more in common than we have differences. We have the same experiences, and we need each other. We try to go through life alone and figure out the answers ourselves. But, oftentimes it just feels lonely. We all just need support and we’re all just trying to do the best that we can.

Congrats on over 70 episodes of your Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast! How do you see this evolving?

The podcast is always evolving. I recently introduced a “smoke break” on the podcast at the halfway point of the episode. There’s music, like an intermission. And for a stoner, you’re able to smoke weed and chill for a second before we hop back into the podcast. I’ve always wanted to incorporate music and get a break in there.

I also want to dive into specific topics that my audience cares about, like breastfeeding or cannabis and pregnancy, so that my audience can have that resource forever.

How about your fashion line? Anything new coming up?

I’m going to bring back a holiday sweater and I think everybody’s going to love it. And, I’m personally taking everything over myself and customizing and personalizing everything. Shout out to anyone who ordered my Blunt Blowin’ Mama clothing before! But, the new stuff that’s coming out for the holidays will be exactly what everyone is looking for and it will really be hand-packed by me.

How do you practice self-care?

I try to make sure I  have time to wash my hair, and go in the bedroom, shut the door and just lay on my bed while my partner watches the kids. Maybe I’ll put headphones on because it’s never quiet at home. But I enjoy myself.

Any given day or week or month looks different, but I just tell my partner, hey, I need a moment alone. And that means like two or three hours in the bedroom alone just smoking and listening to music or reading a book. We allow that for each other. The other day I went to the beach. I just smoked weed and was there for two or three hours. When I came back, I was so carefree, so relaxed. It was just like a vacation. It was amazing. And cannabis is incorporated into my self-care no matter what I do.

Do you have a favorite strain?

I love Lamb’s Bread. That’s my absolute favorite strain. I am a total sativa diva. It’s a really great creative strain for daytime. I love Candy Land because it’s so fruity and fragrant. That flower smells so good. And it gives you an amazing daytime high. My last one is one that I actually just discovered this year and I can’t get enough of it. It’s called Space Force OG, which is actually an indica and I don’t even like indicas. But, it is so good!

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

More black women, more black women or brown, all black and brown women getting paid the rates that they deserve. Representation on all sides. I want to see more brands and companies and influencers talking about moms. All the efforts around decriminalizing, legalizing cannabis, and creating equity are important, but we can’t forget about the parents who are also caught the crosshairs of cannabis’ illegality and having cps constantly causing trauma. It’s scary and unnecessary. I want that to be a part of the conversation. I want to see more people talking about parents and how we can help them and to stop traumatizing these families because they choose the plant.

Last question, what does living in high vibration mean to you?

It’s being conscious and being aware of how you’re impacting not only those closest to you, but others, because there’s a ripple effect from the decisions that you make in your life, even if we don’t see it. Your decisions impact someone. It’s about being conscious all the time and not being afraid to make mistakes or say the wrong thing, and then learning from it. I think that’s when you’re in high vibration.