Know! To Weed Out The Facts For
Youth
Disclaimer: I did not write the below information. This is an article I received from the Ohio Drug Free Action Alliance. This is a wonderful organization that provides information and tips on a variety of topics (not always drug related).
Whether or not your state has legalized some form of medical and/or
recreational use of marijuana (or is potentially looking to do so), it
is
more than likely a topic of discussion in and around your community.
Such conversations are undoubtedly taking place among our youth
as well. But with all the talk and increased messaging on the drug,
it
becomes difficult to distinguish what information is based on
research
versus opinion. This is where parents and other caregivers come in. It
is our responsibility to provide a filter for those incoming mixed messages and
weed out the facts for youth.
Child: If marijuana is used as medicine, doesn’t that mean it is safe and maybe even good for you?
Filter: It is true that some chemicals in marijuana may have some
medicinal purposes, but there is not much controlled research. And
identifying and extracting those potentially helpful chemicals and
putting them in a safe form is the job of medical researchers, in order to
protect the public. Even if some day there are safe and effective
medicines extracted from the plant, that still wouldn’t mean using them to get
high is safe any more than abusing other medications is safe.
Using marijuana in the forms available today is not safe. Marijuana
is known to impair one’s ability to think, remember and reason. In
the
classroom, users may struggle to concentrate and recall information.
Marijuana impacts decision-making and changes the way people
behave. It also impairs coordination and balance, which leads to a
greater risk for accident, injury and death. And contrary to popular
belief, marijuana can increase heart rate and cause panic and anxiety in
some users, especially with new high-potency forms of marijuana.
Child: Some people say you can’t get addicted to marijuana, but
others say you can. Which is it?
Filter: The fact is, 1 in 11 users become addicted to the drug (similar
to alcohol). For those who begin using it during adolescence, the chances of
addiction increase to 1 in 6 (similar to cocaine). Like nicotine, kicking the
marijuana habit can be difficult, with similar withdrawal symptoms including
irritability, sleeping difficulties, cravings, anxiety and increased aggression.
And out of all the people in treatment for drug abuse, 1 in 4 is being treated
for marijuana.
Child: Grandpa admitted to smoking marijuana when he was
younger, and he’s fine. It is no different today, people just like to make a big deal about it.
Filter: Today’s weed is not your Grandpa’s “grass.” The potency of
the marijuana now available is far beyond that of Grandpa’s era. On
average, in the 1970s, a marijuana “joint” contained less than 1% THC (the
chemical in marijuana that produces a high). In comparison, that same size joint
today would contain, on average, about 13% THC. And that’s not all; today there
are even higher potency forms of marijuana, where THC is extracted using heat;
producing forms referred to as “budder,” “shatter,” “dabs,” and “wax.” In these
new forms, THC levels can be as high as 80 – 90% (not even in the same ballpark
as Grandpa’s).
Note to parents: This extremely potent marijuana is also now
commonly vaporized and breathed into the lungs using e-cigarette devices. And
the old home-baked marijuana brownies have now morphed into an endless list of
“marijuana edibles” including a variety of baked goods, candies and sodas,
available for purchase in stores (in some states) and online.
The fact is, our children are talking about marijuana. The question
is,
are you engaging in those conversations with them? We can reduce
our children’s risk of suffering the negative consequences that accompany its
use by getting educated on marijuana, initiating conversations on the topic and
consistently providing a filter for the confusing and conflicting messages being
received by our children.
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