Legalize it!

"Mellow out, man.
I'm not planning to smoke it."

Because Riley can't drink regular milk or even the most popular milk alternatives (soy milk and almond milk), we have turned to hemp milk. Yep, I said hemp,  milk made from the same plant as marijuana. The industrial version of the hemp plant -- from which milk, rope and textiles are made -- has no THC and thus no psychoactive properties. Yet, the plant cannot legally be grown in the U.S. Fortunately, American companies can import, make and sell hemp products, to Riley's benefit.

Perhaps as a prelude to his future preferences, Rilz loves hemp milk. Although as we learned on our trip to Connecticut, he apparently loves only one very specific kind of hemp milk. His Grandma Laura searched high and low throughout the Nutmeg State to find hemp milk for the boy's visit last week. Too bad he wouldn't drink it! His usual brand wasn't available in CT so Riley went on a milk strike. For days he wouldn't drink anything except for the maybe 10 ounces he gets from nursing.

We were really worried about possible dehydration, especially as Andy and I were leaving for a 2-day trip into New York City. We scoured every hippie market in CT looking for milk alternatives and even tried to concoct our own version of his treasured hemp milk. He'd take a few sips out of desperation but not the 18 ounces he normally drinks in a day.

Once Andy and I got to NYC, we easily found Riley's hemp of choice. Of course the big city heathens stock the good stuff! We didn't even have to meet some sketchy guy in an alley or pay in cash. I was so thrilled, I did a little dance in the store and, to the checker's confusion, proudly photographed my find.

When we returned to CT, the boy chugged 50 ounces of hemp milk and the next day downed another 55! He also ate like a fiend, gobbling down everything in site. It was almost like he had the munchies. Wait a minute. . .