Parentally Speaking: Should we talk about marijuana?

Ezra Helfand

Since I lead a substance use prevention agency, discussion about marijuana inevitably will pop up. So I figured that maybe we should bring you in on the conversation

For example, we wonder about all the talk and increased messaging relating to marijuana. It’s becoming more difficult to distinguish what information is based on research versus opinion. And if we as professionals face this dilemma, think about how this affects our youth. This is where we come in. It is our responsibility to provide a filter for those incoming mixed messages and “weed” out the facts for youth.

Since New Jersey has legalized marijuana as medicine, doesn’t that mean it is safe and maybe even good for you?
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 anymore 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.

Part of the ongoing debate hinges on whether you can get addicted to marijuana.
Here are the facts:

• One in 11 users of marijuana become addicted to the drug (similar to alcohol).
• For those who begin using it during adolescence, the chances of addiction increase to one in six (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.
• Out of all the people in treatment for drug abuse, one in four is being treated for marijuana.

Here’s something else that everyone needs to remember.

The potency of the marijuana available today is far beyond that of what was available in the 1960s and 1970s. On average, in the 1970s, a marijuana “joint” contained less than one percent THC (the chemical in marijuana that produces a high). In comparison, that same size joint today would contain, on average, about 13 percent THC. And that’s not all; today there are even higher potency forms of marijuana, where THC is extracted using heat; producing THC levels that can be as high as 80 to 90 percent.

Addition, kids nowadays are vaporizing this extremely potent marijuana 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.