I Interviewed My Dad About Marijuana

Father and son (photo by Kevin Curtin)

I got pulled over last month. It was late, the night the freeze hit, and I think the cops just wanted to check me out. It was pretty much a routine traffic stop: One officer made up some nonsensical reason for pulling me over while two others hovered around my van acting weird and then they asked me questions about my day. I met them with cool confidence, knowing that – on this rare occasion – I didn’t have any expired so-and-sos or outstanding this-and-thats. But unease soon wafted in with the realization that I had a half ounce of weed in my pocket.

I wasn’t really stressing about any legal hassle – possession of cannabis is effectively decriminalized in Austin – but I would’ve been heartbroken if my stash became property of APD. Thankfully, the shivering officers didn’t ask to search me. So, after they drove off, I searched myself and surprisingly no such ganja was on my person. That’s when it hit me: I’d left that big ol’ bag of marijuana on the coffee table of my parents’ Airbnb.

When it comes to my family, the bud doesn’t fall far from the bush. My folks – funny, philosophical, followers of the Grateful Dead – have what I would broadly describe as “Bill Walton vibes” and cannabis has long been something we’ve shared, laughing around the kitchen table eternally. I take great pride in that I’m currently topping the “best joint roller in the fam” power rankings ... even if it’s only because my dad has Parkinson’s.

He’s a physician who spent his entire career bringing health care to underserved communities and people who can’t afford insurance. Now Tom Curtin takes 17 pills a day to deal with tremors, balance problems, and the many other physical and mental symptoms of the disease. Because of that, we can’t do a lot of the things we used to do together – like play basketball or go on nature walks – but we can still commune over a joint. So recently, during one such smoke session, I interviewed him about the things he knows best.

Austin Chronic: How much stronger is marijuana actually today than it was in the Sixties?

Tom Curtin: Well, it’s a lot stronger, a lot more consistent, and it’s a lot healthier. I lived through the time when the Mexican government and the U.S. were spraying paraquat on it. And you’d get this dope and look at it and say “there’s something wrong here” and you’d taste it and go “ughgh.” It was scary. That’s when I went to indoor growing because I could find my own seeds, grow them indoors, and only use natural fertilizer and Dawn soap for the little mites.

AC: You’ve seen your friends go to prison for cannabis, and now, where you live, you can buy it in stores or grow it in your garden. How does that make you feel?

TC: Two words: We won. The old policy was wrong and it had to change.

AC: So much has been figured out about which combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes are effective for specific conditions, but patients typically have to go to a medical marijuana doctor. Why isn’t it more integrated? I feel like the average general practice physician should have cannabis in their toolbag of treatment options.

TC: Generally, the rule is it takes 10-20 years for science to convert it into practice. So I think that’s the curve we’re on right now. The doctors know about it, but it’s not really part of their general practice and most would not have a recommendation for you. You have to remember, even though a lot of practitioners are retiring, there’s still a whole bunch who are of an age that say, “That is not right.”

AC: You live with Parkinson’s, which is a widely approved condition for medical marijuana. In what ways does cannabis help or hurt?

TC: I personally find that it helps with certain pain that might come in the latter part of the day, and it can also help you sleep. If you get rest and you have pain relief – that’s pretty good because fatigue makes pain worse. The other thing is the muscle, joint ache and pain of Parkinson’s is really helped by the topical cannabinoids. Sometimes you’re just there in spasm and everything is sore and your hands have to be stretched over your knees or they’ll turn into crab fingers. If you put topical cannabis on and rub it in good, it’s really helpful.

AC: Is there any way you feel that cannabis use can make someone a better parent?

TC: I think so and that’s in two fashions. Would you rather have a drunk parent managing their chronic anxiety of dealing with the kids, or would you rather have a parent who deals with the kids and blows a little weed at night to relax? The other thing is it can give you insight into what your children are going to experience. A lot of parents hide their lives from their kids, but I never really did. You don’t think they know you’re hiding your lives? You’re hiding and lying.

AC: What is life all about and how does cannabis aid it?

TC: Life should be about being happy, enjoying yourself, and being at peace. I want to help other people find their path to that and encourage them. I really believe that everything you give away you get back.