Raising An Emerald Child: A Parent’s Journey with Cannabis Cultivation

This article first appeared in the Kids & Cannabis edition of Fat Nugs Magazine, published December 2025

In recent years, the conversation around cannabis has evolved significantly, leading to a broader understanding of its potential benefits, particularly for children facing various health challenges.

For parents, navigating this new landscape can be daunting, but there’s an empowering approach worth considering: teaching a child to grow cannabis. Cultivation isn’t a crime – it’s a passion project. A bridge between the parent and the child. This is my journey growing cannabis with my daughter.

From Texas to California with a Child

When I first came to California, I was terrified of exposing my daughter to growing cannabis. I was a new parent coming from Texas, a strict prohibition state, where having marijuana in your system gets your kids and your freedom taken away.

However, when I first got involved in the cannabis industry, I soon found out things were very, very different here. It was a stream of colorful farms and eclectic families growing pot with tons of hippie babies who grew into open-minded, extremely smart kids. Like any farm kids running around, these children planted gardens, cared for livestock, and were as healthy as any other kids I had seen.

The only difference? While other kids were planting vegetables, these kids were growing cannabis. As shocked as I was at first, it wasn’t considered taboo; it was just another crop on the farm, like any other.

When my child turned 5, I decided to expose her to plant medicine and the art of growing. Every year, we would pick a strain and grow one plant that was all her responsibility. When the time came, I would educate her on the proper harvest procedures. She would pick a medical patient, often a veteran who could not grow or afford cannabis as a medicine, and create a usable form of cannabis medicine for them. By 16, my daughter was driven to work hard, had an amazing amount of respect for the plant, and could create from seed-to-patient topicals, RSO, edibles, award-winning flower, and hash – and now she’s starting to learn extracts.

In my experience as a NorCal grower for over 10 years, children who learn early about plant medicine tend to see these crops as medicinal rather than the “negative image” that propaganda has tried to promote. It makes those scary drug talks not-so-scary for both the parent and the child. There are also all the little lessons they learn through cultivation, like time management, patience, and work ethic.

Teach the Children to Grow: The Benefits of Cannabis Cultivation

By encouraging children to cultivate the plant, parents can maintain control over their exposure while simultaneously imparting valuable life lessons. Gardening as a practice fosters responsibility, patience, and a sense of accomplishment.

My daughter was young when she started helping in the garden, but it wasn’t until she reached double digits that she began doing harder labor. She would help with anything from spreading amendments to turning holes, hauling water, and tending to clones.

When a child engages in growing cannabis under a parent’s supervision, they learn not only about the plant itself but also about healthy boundaries and moderation. This hands-on experience can be particularly beneficial for children who might be dealing with medical conditions that cannabis can help alleviate, such as epilepsy or chronic pain.

Moreover, involvement in cultivation offers children a unique opportunity to help peers who share similar experiences. Children often feel isolated in their struggles, but by participating in a shared activity that has real-world implications, they gain a sense of community and purpose.

Today, my daughter is graduating early from high school, teaches cannabis awareness online to other parents and their kids from her own experiences, and has her own 6-plant grow within mine. She has completely done it herself from start to finish. Honestly, I’m worried her plants are going to be bigger and better than mine this year!

Whether donating harvested cannabis to those in need or simply sharing stories about their experiences, these interactions can foster empathy and understanding, building a stronger support system among young patients.