Cannabis and Fatherhood: DJ Saul

Approaching the Conversation Around Cannabis & Kids

Cannabis helps DJ settle into his roles at home as a parent and a husband. “Cannabis helps with a sense of presence and play, but it also makes me a better listener and more emotionally available. A big part of parenthood, of fatherhood, is the partnership. Cannabis makes me a better husband to my wife, and I want to model that for my kids.”

Since the plant brings him so much benefit, what do his kids think? For now, they’re still quite young, and the conversation around cannabis has been light. “I’ve elegantly danced around it for now,” DJ said. “My oldest isn’t quite old enough for a real conversation, but I’m preparing because he’s hitting double digits soon.”

But that doesn’t mean DJ never talks about it. “When they smell it around the office, I’ll tell them that it’s medicine for adults.”

The necessary conversations with his kids are on his mind, even if it’s still years away. “I have seeds of ideas on how to approach it. It’ll be about the plant and the medicinal benefits.”

There’s no shying away here, but DJ knows that finding age-appropriate ways to talk to his kids about the plant is important. “Once he [oldest] heads into middle school, it’s time. And we’ll have evolving versions of the conversation as he gets older. I don’t ever want to encourage illegal activity, but I know what high school is. I want him to be as safe as possible.”

DJ also recognizes that his appreciation for the plant may be the very thing that turns his kids away from it. “My nieces and nephews in high school don’t drink or smoke, and their parents do. The younger generation isn’t drinking or smoking as much.”

Working in the cannabis industry, DJ acknowledges that his perspective on the plant is slightly skewed. “[Cannabis] is an outsized part of my identity because I work in the industry, and my work is a big part of my identity. Out in the world, I try to have conversations about the power of the plant.”

But at the same time, DJ knows it’s not a 1:1 comparison with alcohol. “I usually won’t roll up to the pick-up line in a Khalifa Kush hoodie, out of respect for the young kids. But at the same time, I also know no one would care about a Budweiser hoodie.”

When I ask DJ what he wants other parents to know about weed, he considers for a moment.

“Everyone’s physiology is fundamentally different. Cannabis is heavily nuanced in terms of reactions and how to best use it as a tool. Some people are more functional with cannabis and can smoke all day and still do their jobs and be an amazing parent. Not everyone can. In the spirit of shedding the stigma around the plant, not enough attention is paid to how everyone is different.”

His Favorite Cannabis Offerings

For DJ, his preferred cannabis tool is the edible. “If I’m consuming at home with my kids, it’s an edible.”

But of course, I simply must know: what is DJ’s favorite Khalifa Kush offering?

“The original KK.” He quickly replied. “Freshly ground into a joint on a Friday night out back by the fire.”

Cannabis and Parenting Series

This interview is one in a series on cannabis and parenting. Read the other interviews.

Cannabis & Fatherhood

• DJ Saul
• Seibo Shen
• John Shute
• Daniel Crawford

Cannabis & Motherhood

• Bri Smith
• Christine Harrell
• KC Santana
• LaWann Stribling
• Megan Mbengue 
• Tanya Griffin
• Bri Ash
• Kenya Alexander

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