Cannabis and Adolescents: WA State Guidelines

I stumbled upon this gem of a site, that claims to put out “science-based information for the public” from the UW’s Institute for Alcohol and Drug Abuse. In my never-ending quest to find cannabis myth being spread as fact, I felt the need to comb through this site a bit and see just what “science-based information” they are disseminating.

Following a link titled “A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Underage Marijuana Use,” I was somewhat discouraged by what I saw. I’ll dissect each bit as we go through them.

“Marijuana is addictive. Most teens who enter substance abuse treatment programs in Washington state report that marijuana is the main or only drug they use. Teens who identify other drugs as their primary drug of choice often say they use marijuana too. Adolescents who start using marijuana before the age of 14 are four times more likely to become addicted by the time they are adults. Marijuana addiction is more common among teens than adults because their brains are still developing and vulnerable.”

I’m never too thrilled to see such an opening line as “marijuana is addictive.” I get what they’re trying to say, I think. But are scare tactics really the right way to keep marijuana out of your kids hands? I am fine with scare tactics, if they are also bearing the truth. I am ok with my kids being scared of heroin, cocaine, texting while driving, cigarettes and even alcohol. All of those things can legitimately destroy your life. But caffeine is more addictive than cannabis and we don’t hear any PSA’s about keeping your teenagers out of Starbuck’s. I also like the phrasing of “teens who enter rehab…” I read that to mean that these were teens who were forced into rehab for marijuana, likely by some closed-minded person who hasn’t seen beyond the scare tactics mentioned above. It’s time to really clarify this message.

“Some teens make the mistake of believing that marijuana can help reduce issues with ADHD or anxiety, and improve their focus in school. But, in truth, adolescents who use marijuana can have: increased difficulty memorizing things, distorted thinking and perception (exaggerated or irrational thoughts), hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety, depression, a permanent decrease in IQ with prolonged use.”

The prevalence of qualifiers always necessitates that statements like this be taken with a grain of salt. Phrases like “some teens,” “adolescents who use marijuana can…” have a partially specious effect. They carry an insinuation of fact, while simultaneously leaving themselves a logical escape hatch. I could just as easily say, “some tobacco users can smoke for years without displaying health problems,” or, “some prostitutes can have unprotected sex with HIV positive men and never contract the virus.” Both statements are technically true, but the vast, vast majority of instances will have horrifyingly opposite results.

Additionally, those symptoms listed above which “can” happen if you smoke weed are also the symptoms of being an over-stressed, under-rested teenager. My son has never used cannabis or alcohol. I know what you’re thinking, he’s just hiding it from his parents. In most cases I would agree with you, but my boy is what you might call a bit of a nerd. He spends his time on online video games or playing D & D (almost exclusively in our small home). Anyway, he exhibits many of those symptoms on a weekly basis without any use of cannabis.

As far as a permanent drop in IQ? I’m calling BS on that. Not only do I just think it’s not scientifically sound, it seems a very problematic statistic to verify. There is no scientific way to gather good sample data. Unless you test IQ of a teen, force him to smoke a ton of weed into adulthood, and test them again, how can you even begin to get source data for such a study? It’s “science” based on a lot of conjecture. What anecdotal evidence tells me is that I have known many people who have used weed since they were teenagers and some are fuck-up’s sure, but most are just normal, functioning people.

“Teens who use marijuana are actually more likely to experience school failure, which can lead to school drop out. Adolescents addicted to marijuana often struggle with new mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and paranoia.”

This is another one that I just can’t put much faith in. Being an active parent in my children’s school tells me that, even based on the scariest of teen pot use surveys, the number of kids who struggle with school far outweighs the number of supposed pot smokers.

“Marijuana addiction can also make existing mental health conditions worse. When addicted to marijuana, adolescents often lack motivation and energy, and lose interest in activities they used to enjoy.”

This is more crap and more qualifying language. I’ll call double BS on the last bit about no longer enjoying the things you love. If anything, this statement is just saying the opposite of what’s true. I can’t think of anything I love doing that cannabis has ruined, just the opposite.

To be honest, I really don’t want my boys using intoxicants until they are well out of High School, but I’m not naive enough to count on it. And I do think that keeping any narcotic out of the hands of children is sound advice. But kids aren’t dumb, they are just uninformed and if we fill that void in their knowledge with hyperbole and terror, we’re just perpetuating a failed policy.

So what will I tell my kids? I won’t bombard them with fear and lies that they are more than smart enough to see through. I won’t tell them that cannabis is just as bad as heroin or cocaine and I will tell them that I would much rather them smoke weed than drink alcohol or use tobacco. But I will also tell them that life is about balance, managing your responsibilities and still taking care of yourself. There is not a chemical in cannabis that makes people irresponsible, it still comes down to personal choice. I will tell them the personal rule that I have followed during my life, regarding intoxicants: If it won’t hurt/kill you or interfere with your responsibilities, then enjoy yourself.

I guess I can appreciate what this site is trying to do, but they are using debunked, anachronistic information. It’s doubly disappointing considering it comes out of a respected research institution like the University of Washington.