31 - How to Talk To Your Kids About Cannabis with Kyla de Clifford.

In this episode, we get real about something most parents are quietly struggling with: how to talk to kids and teens about cannabis in a world where edibles, vapes and oils are everywhere and often invisible.

Kids today are exposed earlier, more frequently, and in more confusing ways than ever before. Gummies look like lollies. Wellness-style bottles sit on shelves. TikTok jokes about edibles have millions of views. Whether you use cannabis, avoid it entirely, or sit somewhere in between, the conversation is coming and avoidance doesn’t keep kids safe.

This week, Kyla breaks down how to approach these conversations with calm, honesty and connection, instead of the outdated “drugs are bad” scripts many of us grew up with.

We explore:

• The rise in paediatric cannabis poisonings — including the NSW study showing nearly 3,800 cases in a decade, with toddlers and teens most affected.

• Why edibles have changed the landscape 

• The gap between modern cannabis use and the conversations parents are not having.

 • How today’s cannabis (concentrates, vapes, gummies) is completely different from the 90s weed many parents remember.

 • Why kids are not staying innocent by staying uninformed they’re just staying unprepared.

 • Harm reduction basics for families, from dosing to green-outs to mixing substances.

 • How to frame your own cannabis use with responsibility, nuance and clarity.

 • Exactly what to say to younger kids vs. teens, including simple scripts you can start using today.

 • How to respond if your teen admits they’ve already tried cannabis — without shame or panic.

 • Why warmth + honesty + boundaries remains the most protective parenting combination we have.

This episode is your toolkit for building trust instead of fear, clarity instead of shame, and ongoing conversations instead of one big dreaded “talk.”

Curiosity is not dangerous; it’s developmental. What matters is that they learn with us, not away from us.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with another parent or caregiver - and leave a review to help this work reach more curious households.

Resources

Cannabis poisonings in Australia following the legalisation of medicinal cannabis, 2014-24: analysis of NSW Poisons Information Centre data

Cannabis poisonings among children increasing

How to talk to your kids about cannabis (PDF Downloadable resource)

Transcript

“Here’s a quick reality check for parents: cannabis poisonings in kids have risen every single year for a decade. Not because they’re smoking — but because they’re eating gummies that look like lollies. And the wild part? Most parents have no idea it’s happening in their own communities. So today, we’re going there — how to actually talk to your kids about cannabis in a way that’s calm, grounded, and free from the shame we grew up with.”

“Welcome back to Canna Curious. Today we’re diving into a topic that is becoming unavoidable for parents — whether you use cannabis, whether you never touch the stuff, or whether you’re somewhere quietly in the middle trying to figure out how to parent in 2025. Because the truth is: our kids are hearing about cannabis already. They’re seeing it on TikTok. They’re hearing jokes about edibles on YouTube. They’re walking into chemists and health food stores and seeing bottles that look like supplements. The world they’re growing up in is not the world we did.”

“And here’s the thing — when we were teenagers, cannabis was almost symbolic. It had a look, a smell, a cultural stereotype. You knew who the ‘stoners’ were. Your parents knew if you’d been near it because your clothes gave you away. If you wanted to try it, you had to find someone older, someone dodgy, someone’s cousin who lived in a shed. There was a barrier — not a healthy barrier, but a barrier.”

“Now? Cannabis is invisible. It’s discreet. It’s packaged like candy, wellness supplements, skincare. It lives in pantries and bedside tables. It’s potent in ways we never saw as kids. And because medicinal cannabis laws changed in 2015 and 2016, adults are using it much more openly — but families aren’t having the conversations to match that openness. Kids are watching all of this with a curious brain and a nervous system that is wired to experiment.”

“And the data really hammered this home for me. The NSW Poisons Information Centre’s ten-year review showed nearly 3,800 cannabis-related poisonings. And these calls increased every single year. Seventy-five percent of those cases ended up in hospital. And the two age groups most affected were toddlers and teenagers — which tells you two things. Toddlers are accidentally eating things. And teens are trying things they don’t understand, in forms they can’t dose properly.”

“All of this made me rethink how I talk to my own kids. Because even though I work in this space, even though I know the science, it’s still confronting when your child looks you in the eye and asks, ‘Mum… is that weed?’ I remember that moment so clearly. My stomach dropped. I felt the old programming — the ‘drugs are bad’ messaging from the 90s — pop up to the surface. I had a choice in that split second: lie, deflect, or tell the truth. And honestly, it tested me. Because parenting isn’t about the perfect response. It’s about the honest response. It’s about the connection. So I told them: ‘Yes. It’s from the cannabis plant. I use it for pain. It’s medicine for me — but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for a developing brain.’ And that conversation opened a door that has stayed open for years.”

“And I want to pause here and say this — your kids are not stupid. They know more about the world than we think. They’re exposed to things earlier. Their curiosity is stronger. And if we don’t give them information, they don’t magically stay innocent; they stay uninformed.”

“So let’s talk about edibles for a moment, because this is where things get tricky. In 2014, nearly every cannabis poisoning came from dried flower. Now that’s only about sixty percent. The rest are coming from edibles and concentrates. Edibles jumped from five percent to sixteen percent of poisonings, and we’ve seen nearly ninety gummy-related poisonings in Australia since 2019. Those are only the confirmed cases. And this aligns with North America, where provinces that allow edibles see significantly higher hospitalisation rates in children.”

“And here’s the nuance — edibles aren’t dangerous because cannabis is dangerous. They’re dangerous because they’re designed to look like food. A gummy bear is a gummy bear. A chocolate square is a chocolate square. A child doesn’t know they’re looking at THC or CBD. And honestly, lots of adults don’t know what they’re looking at either. Edibles also hit slow and hard, which creates this perfect storm — especially for teens. They take one, feel nothing, take another, and then they’re in deep. It’s not like smoking, where you feel it almost instantly.”

“And concentrates? They are a world of their own. Some vape oils and dabs contain sixty to ninety percent THC. If someone listening tried cannabis in the 90s, what you had was around eight to fourteen percent THC. This is a different product. A different potency. A different experience.”

“And then there’s the issue of labelling. Australia is behind. We do not have universal warning symbols like Canada’s red triangle. We do not have standardised dosing. We do not have public education campaigns. Our laws moved fast — our safety systems did not.”

“So this is the world our kids are growing up in. And we have two choices: stay silent and hope for the best, or get ahead of the conversation.”

“And this is where parental influence becomes so incredibly important. The research is crystal clear — when parents communicate with warmth, honesty, and boundaries, kids delay use. When parents panic, lecture, or shame, kids shut down, hide things, and take risks. And here’s something interesting: kids who believe their parents use cannabis are morelikely to view it positively — which means we must frame our own use with clarity. Not in a defensive way, but in a responsible, grounded way.”

“I often tell parents: don’t wait for the big moment. Don’t wait for a ‘drug talk.’ Those conversations rarely work. Instead, weave it into everyday life. If a character in a show uses weed, comment on it. If you drive past a dispensary, bring it up. If they ask what THC or CBD is, treat it like you would any other health conversation.”

“Start with curiosity: ‘What have you heard about cannabis at school or online?’ Let them talk first. Listen to the myths. Listen to the bravado. Listen to the fear. Then, meet them where they are.”

“For younger kids, keep it simple. Say: ‘Some people use cannabis for medicine or relaxation. It is not safe for kids or teens because your brain is still growing, and some products look like lollies.’ I personally always mention the gummies. Kids remember that.”

“For teens, give them more detail. They can handle complexity. Say: ‘Some adults can use cannabis safely, especially for medical reasons, but while your brain is still developing, it can affect memory, motivation, and focus. I’m not saying this to scare you. I’m saying it because I care.’ Tone is everything. You want them to feel like you’re talking with them, not down to them.”

“In my house, harm reduction is a normal conversation. We talk about what edibles do in the body, how long they take to hit, what a green-out looks like, why you never mix cannabis with alcohol, how CBD can help regulate the nervous system if someone takes too much. It’s not about permission — it’s about preparation.”

“And if your teen admits they’ve already tried it, don’t panic. Don’t go into moral emergency mode. Take a breath. Say, ‘Thank you for being honest. How did it feel? Who were you with? What surprised you?’ Let them lead. And you can still set boundaries without shaming them. Say: ‘Okay. Let’s talk about how to stay safe if this ever comes up again.’ That’s connection. That’s influence.”

“And here’s the bigger picture: cannabis use is rising in Australia, but only a tiny percentage of medicinal users are accessing it legally. There’s a huge grey zone of informal use, and our kids see it. At the same time, edible use has doubled, labelling is poor, misinformation is everywhere, and social media is shaping the narrative. So if we’re not guiding them, they’re walking blind.”

“So here’s the takeaway: cannabis is not the villain it was made out to be. But it’s also not risk-free. Especially not for developing brains. Poisonings are rising. Edibles are evolving. And kids deserve context, clarity, and care — not silence. The best protection is honest conversation. Let your kids see what conscious use looks like. Let them ask questions. Let them be curious. Curiosity is not dangerous — it’s developmental. It’s how kids learn. What matters is that they learn with us, not away from us.”

“If this episode resonated with you, share it with a parent or caregiver who might need it. And if you feel called to, leave a review — it helps this information reach more curious minds.