Danielle Rosellison
Co-owner
Trail Blazin’ Productions
Bellingham, WA
For anybody with kids (minors) … this one is for you.
It’s no secret that I abhor the rule that doesn’t allow us to bring our children to work. My kids were 1 and 4 when we started Trail Blazin’ in 2014. With kids not being allowed in the licensed premises, it creates an incredible, unnecessary burden on a working-class family. If I have to run in and do something quickly (the definition of “quickly” being open for discussion), it causes crazy logistics for our family. I can’t leave the kids in the car (that’s illegal). I can’t let them play in the parking lot (that’s not safe). And I can’t bring them into the building (that’s against the rules). Not allowing anyone under 21 on the licensed premises mean that I have to coordinate child care with our Granny Nanny (who I’m convinced is an angel in human form), drop the kids off on the north side of town, come back to work, do whatever “quick” thing needs to be done and head back to the north side of town before returning home to the east side. What should have taken 20 minutes becomes an hour-and-a-half mission.
Fast forward to February 2019. When Granny Nanny wants to take a vacation, the only answer out of our mouths is yes. She does so much for us that we want to encourage her to do whatever she wants. This year, she planned a nice, nine-day trip to the Florida Keys, leaving Monday night and returning the following Wednesday. Having her gone was going to be a struggle, but we always make it work. Adding in no school for President’s Day was going to add an extra challenge, but we could handle it.
And then Snowpocolypse 2019 happened.
Five snow days.
While Granny Nanny was gone.
And two employees terminated their employment.
- MY. GOD.
We made it. So, that’s good news. But it was brutal. And the whole 10 days was overshadowed by this looming mom guilt. If I could have just brought them inside my work, my cannabis operation, they would have been with me and my husband, which I think is the most important aspect of raising kids — being there — and they would have felt like a part of our family unit (they often talk about how they want to run Trail Blazin’ some day). Plus, I wouldn’t have had to scramble every afternoon at 4 p.m. — when we got the despised “Bellingham Schools will be cancelled tomorrow” text — trying to figure out who could watch them the next day.
To be fair, the kids told me they had an amazing week with spontaneous sleepovers with friends and hanging out with someone new every day. If they only knew the stress it was on me and their father — unnecessary stress that could totally be alleviated if children of owners and employees could be allowed in cannabis businesses. This is a fight I have said I will fight at the legislative level at some point; it’s just not the right time yet. For those of you whose state is just getting off the ground, try to enact rules to allow children of owners and employees onto the licensed premises from the get-go. I would argue that it’s about social equity.