Cannamom Social Media Posts Frame Cannabis as a Wellness Tool for Better Mothering
Analysis of 64 Canadian cannamom Instagram and blog posts found cannabis positioned as a wellness product that helps mothers achieve thinness, productivity, and engaged parenting.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Three themes emerged: (1) normalizing cannabis by comparing it favorably to alcohol and pharmaceuticals, (2) positioning cannabis as responsible, personalized wellness consumption, and (3) framing cannabis as a tool to achieve motherhood ideals including thinness, productivity, mental wellness, and engaged parenting. Posts often functioned as marketing for cannabis products and coaching services.
Key Numbers
30 blog posts and 34 Instagram posts analyzed. 3 inter-related themes identified. Posts came from Canadian cannamom content creators. Analysis conducted post-2018 Canadian legalization.
How They Did This
Qualitative reflexive thematic analysis of Canadian cannamom blog posts (N=30) and Instagram posts (N=34), analyzed through lenses of influencer culture, wine mom culture, wellness movements, and mental health movements.
Why This Research Matters
Cannamom culture influences how mothers perceive cannabis safety and use, particularly in a post-legalization context. The marketing overlay complicates the wellness messaging, as product promotion is embedded within community support narratives.
The Bigger Picture
The cannamom movement intersects with broader wellness and influencer culture, raising questions about how mothers receive health information about cannabis. The parallels with wine mom culture suggest a pattern of normalizing substance use through motherhood identity.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Qualitative analysis of public social media content only. Cannot determine how these messages influence actual behavior. Small sample of posts. Canadian context may not generalize. Selection methodology for posts not fully detailed.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do cannamom social media posts influence maternal cannabis use decisions?
- ?How do healthcare providers address cannabis information mothers receive from social media?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Qualitative analysis of a small sample of social media posts provides preliminary evidence on a culturally significant phenomenon.
- Study Age:
- Analysis of Canadian cannamom content post-2018 legalization.
- Original Title:
- Mothers Marketing to Mothers: An Exploration of Cannabis Use and Constructions of Motherhood on Instagram and Blog Posts.
- Published In:
- Substance use : research and treatment, 19, 29768357251403255 (2025)
- Authors:
- Smith, Tanner M, Kraft, Stella, Waugh, Anne, Harding, Kelly D, Bombak, Andrea, Riediger, Natalie D
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07686
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What is cannamom culture?
An online movement where mothers share and advocate for cannabis use as part of motherhood, often framing it as a wellness practice that makes them better parents.
Are these posts just personal sharing or marketing?
The study found significant overlap: posts frequently advertised cannabis products and coaching services while appearing to be personal accounts of motherhood and wellness.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07686APA
Smith, Tanner M; Kraft, Stella; Waugh, Anne; Harding, Kelly D; Bombak, Andrea; Riediger, Natalie D. (2025). Mothers Marketing to Mothers: An Exploration of Cannabis Use and Constructions of Motherhood on Instagram and Blog Posts.. Substance use : research and treatment, 19, 29768357251403255. https://doi.org/10.1177/29768357251403255
MLA
Smith, Tanner M, et al. "Mothers Marketing to Mothers: An Exploration of Cannabis Use and Constructions of Motherhood on Instagram and Blog Posts.." Substance use : research and treatment, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/29768357251403255
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Mothers Marketing to Mothers: An Exploration of Cannabis Use..." RTHC-07686. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/smith-2025-mothers-marketing-to-mothers
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.