In a report shown on Monday's Erin Burnett OutFront and Tuesday's CNN News Central, reporter Meena Duerson spoke with a group of mothers who smoke marijuana together and claim it makes them better parents.
By contrast, Fox News has had a recent history of highlighting studies linking marijuana use to an increased incidence of mental illness.
On Monday night, setting up the pre-recorded piece, host Burnett repeated claims that marijuana can help women be better parents: "For the first time ever, women have surpassed men when it comes to marijuana use in America. And tonight we're hearing from a group of moms who get together to smoke. They say that they are better parents and that they are better partners because of it."
And on Tuesday morning, CNN host John Berman similarly asserted: "All right, new this morning, marijuana as a parenting tool. One group of women has turned to the drug as a way to cope with the challenges of motherhood. They call themselves 'Cannamoms' and say smoking has made them better parents."
Each host was introducing a report by correspondent Meena Duerson which included her speaking with several women who take part in a game night every two months in St. Louis where they consume marijuana and take time to get away from their children. An unnamed participant could be heard describing their activities: "Cannamom game night is a night out with your besties away from the kids. You're meeting new friends. You're going to be gifted some joints and play some games, and you're just going to live your best kid-free life for a couple of hours."
Duerson related: "Here in Missouri, recreational cannabis has been legal since late 2022. Every few months, these moms get together to consume."
After clips of several women complaining about there being stigma attached to mothers using marijuana, then came soundbites of women who wished that marijuana were as socially acceptable as alcohol:
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #5: Moms that smoke weed should be just as acceptable as moms that drink wine. It should be, you know, something that is exactly the same.
DUERSON: And do you think that they're not treated like that?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #5: Not at all.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: Both of us used to drink -- we used to go to the bar -- we used to go out.
DUERSON: What's the difference?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: Huge. I'll never in the world understand how marijuana was illegal for so long and alcohol was legal when alcohol has literally killed and destroyed so many people in my family's lives.
The CNN reporter went on to speak with the co-founders of the "Cannamoms" group -- Kimberly Kesterson and Jessica Carol -- so they could explain why think marijuana benefits them. In a report that lasted just over four minutes, Duerson only devoted nine seconds to possible health consequences of marijuana use: "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns it may have, quote, 'a wide range of health effects on the body and brain,' and cautions against smoking and driving."
But over on Fox, back on February 9, Fox & Friends Sunday covered a study linking marijuana to serious mental illness. Co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy related:
All right, it's time now for your "Weekend Wellness," and this week we're focusing on a new study on the dangers of smoking excessive marijuana. A Canadian study found that nine percent of those who use marijuana excessively develop schizophrenia compared to just 0.6 percent for those who don't.
Medical contributor Doctor Nicole Saphier discussed the study and recommended other herbal ways to relax that are safer than using marijuana.
Transcripts follow:
CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront
March 24, 2025
7:56 p.m. Eastern
ERIN BURNETT: For the first time ever, women have surpassed men when it comes to marijuana use in America. And tonight we're hearing from a group of moms who get together to smoke. They say that they are better parents and that they are better partners because of it. And Meena Duerson has this special report "Out Front."
MEENA DUERSON: These are the St. Louis Cannamoms, and this is game night.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: Cannamom game night is a night out with your besties away from the kids. You're meeting new friends. You're going to be gifted some joints and play some games, and you're just going to live your best kid-free life for a couple of hours.
DUERSON: Here in Missouri, recreational cannabis has been legal since late 2022. Every few months, these moms get together to consume. What is special about this being like a roomful of moms?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: It gets me out of the house. The women here are all very accepting.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #3: If you put marijuana and a mom together (inaudible) don't really go together.
DUERSON: Why do you think people care if it's a mom?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #3: Because mom is supposed to know everything -- they're supposed to be this picture perfect person.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #4: You're held to a certain standard.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #5: Moms that smoke weed should be just as acceptable as moms that drink wine. It should be, you know, something that is exactly the same.
DUERSON: And do you think that they're not treated like that?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #5: Not at all.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: Both of us used to drink -- we used to go to the bar -- we used to go out.
DUERSON: What's the difference?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: Huge. I'll never in the world understand how marijuana was illegal for so long and alcohol was legal when alcohol has literally killed and destroyed so many people in my family's lives.
DUERSON: Jessica Carol and Kimberly Kesteron started this group to help moms like themselves find and support each other.
KIMBERLY KESTERSON: We just really have created a community -- a space where women come together. They laugh.
JESSICA CAROL: So if you're any parent like me, you put your children first. So to be able to step away and give yourself some time and do some self care. It's hard to do.
DUERSON: A lot of these women say their kids know they smoke and that weed actually helps them be better moms.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: They see that I'm not doing it to party -- I'm doing it to relax. And as far as motherhood, it helps me be able to calm down and handle the situation at hand.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #4: I normally do it in the nighttime right after I get my kids on their scheduled sleep.
DUERSON: So, for you, like, you're tucking your kids into the bed, they're asleep, and you're like --
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #4: It's time for me to relax -- I got through the day. Kind of like I replenish myself -- I water myself like a plant.
DUERSON: Cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns it may have, quote, "a wide range of health effects on the body and brain," and cautions against smoking and driving. For these moms, the group's about more than getting high. St. Louis Cannamoms -- one of dozens of similar Facebook groups around the country -- has more than 4,000 members and provides donations to moms in need.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #6: Not just me and my kids -- I don't know where we would be without that. They're my family.
KESTERSON: Being a mom's hard. There are so many expectations on you, and we feel like we have to be perfect. We feel shame around our blowups and having a hard day. And so I think it's super important that we're able to see that there are so many other moms that go through the same struggles.
DUERSON: Do you see it now as like a tool in your parenting.
KESTERSON: Oh, yeah. For sure. I think it definitely helps me stay patient. I actually want to sit down and do stuff with my kids instead of sit and scroll on my phone all day.
DUERSON: Do you get any backlash?
KESTERSON: Just, you know, "You're a bad mom -- you shouldn't have your kid because you smoke."
DUERSON: People say that to you?
KESTERSON: Mm-hmm. I feel like I'm at a space now where I feel very secure within myself and who I am and how I use cannabis. And if people want to judge me for that or make an assumption that I'm a bad mom, then let them.
DUERSON: That's not something that's keeping you up at night?
KESTERSON: No, not at all. Absolutely not.
DUERSON: Meena Duerson, CNN, St. Louis, Missouri.
(...)
CNN News Central
March 25, 2025
9:51 a.m. Eastern
JOHN BERMAN: All right, new this morning, marijuana as a parenting tool. One group of women has turned to the drug as a way to cope with the challenges of motherhood. They call themselves "Cannamoms" and say smoking has made them better parents. CNN's Meena Duerson has the story.
(Same report by Meena Duerson that aired on Erin Burnett OutFront)
BERMAN: Great report there.
SARA SIDNER: It really is.
BERMAN: Our thanks to Meena Duerson for that.
(...)
Fox & Friends Sunday
February 9, 2025
7:45 a.m. Eastern
RACHEL CAMPOS-DUFFY: All right, it's time now for your "Weekend Wellness," and this week we're focusing on a new study on the dangers of smoking excessive marijuana. A Canadian study found that nine percent of those who use marijuana excessively develop schizophrenia compared to just 0.6 percent for those who don't. Here to unpack it all is Fox News medical contributor Doctor Nicole Saphier.
Nicole, I have always been on the side of not legalizing, and the reason -- marijuana use -- and the reason is my husband was a prosecutor, and he dealt with a lot of, you know, these groups that were trying to help rehabilitate people on drugs, and they always told him -- this was before we saw the legalization -- "Please don't legalize -- please don't allow, you know, your party to get behind legalization because it's a gateway drug to other drugs." But you're saying there's also other impacts on just your mental health?
DOCTOR NICOLE SAPHIER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, that's right, Rachel. So, first of all, it's important to recognize that there are some benefits for marijuana -- specifically, medical benefits when it comes to glaucoma, pain, appetite stimulate, and even -- even has some benefit with multiple sclerosis, and then cancer patients. However, I have also -- like you -- have been very cautious about legalization of marijuana because there are known risks with it. And this large population-based study out of Canada looking at over 13 million people in the province of Ontario is showing that there is nearly a 15 times risk associated with schizophrenia with cannabis use disorder.
Now, this is not surprising because we have already been well-documented of the risk of other psychoses when it comes to cannabis use. It can also negatively affect your heart, your lungs, your metabolic system. It can also increase your breast tissue and cause an increase in breast cancer. And you can see depressed sperm count and fertility with it. So it is very concerning when it comes to people using this a lot more, and you're seeing rising levels of THC over the years in marijuana that people are using.
Now, when you ask people, "Why are you using marijuana?" a lot of people say, "Well, I have anxiety," or, "I just want to relax myself." Well, let me tell you, not everything that is natural is good for you. So you should always talk to your doctor before you use it, but I can tell you there are far safer other herbs that I like that are natural that can help with relaxation.
(...)
