Helping Students Understand the Risks of Marijuana Use

The Confusion Surrounding Marijuana

During the November 2012 election cycle, residents in several areas of the United States voted in favor of recreational and medicinal marijuana use within their states. A few other domestic jurisdictions have also "decriminalized" personal use of marijuana. While these developments predominantly affect the legality of marijuana use of adults only, they contribute to a great deal of misunderstanding about the actual emotional and physical risks that marijuana poses for young people. Confusion leads to an inaccurate normative belief that, if marijuana can be labeled "legal" or "medical," it must not be harmful. Such inaccurate beliefs once existed about alcohol (e.g., "If it's not against the law, it must be safe"), yet now few adults or young people fail to recognize that adolescent alcohol use presents serious health risks. That's why there is a legal age restriction for the sale, possession and use of alcohol, and why most states allow parents who serve underage persons in their home to be held both civilly and criminally responsible for this behavior.

Real Risks for Young People

Research has clearly shown that early use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs greatly increases the risk of addiction and a variety of other developmental problems for young people. Yet, as marijuana laws change for adults in the U.S. population, teens tend to perceive less and less risk in recreational marijuana by people their own age. As reported by The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, "Media coverage has led to a number of misconceptions about medical marijuana and has largely ignored two critical facts: 1) smoked marijuana is not a 'medicine'; and 2) the more misinformation that gets to the public stating that marijuana is medicine, the more youth will view it as harmless and the more likely they will be to use it." Indeed, as the Boston Globe reported in September 2012, there is a direct connection between the legal, medical use of marijuana in U.S. states by adults and the illegal, recreational use of marijuana in U.S. states by children ages 12 to 17. So while there may be legitimate medical uses for some of the chemical components of the marijuana plant for adult persons with chronic and/or terminal illness, children are receiving an increasingly mixed message about the this substance, and it's a message you can help clarify with them through healthy communication.

What Adults Can Do to Reduce Adolescent Risks

Don't be confused about the risks adolescents face from marijuana use: First and foremost, be familiar with the risks for young people who use marijuana. Helpful websites to learn more include www.abovetheinfluence.com,  www.drugfree.org and www.teenshealth.org. Second, understand that many of the same risks apply for both alcohol and marijuana use. Early use of marijuana poses legal threats, impairs driving, interferes with brain function and predisposes young people to drug dependence just as early use of alcohol or other mind-altering chemicals does. Third, don't forget that marijuana use is still illegal in most states. This is especially the case for non-medicinal and/or underage use of marijuana. Young people can still get into far more serious trouble for use and possession of marijuana than is often likely for use and possession of alcohol. Fourth, remember that marijuana use by adolescents always equals risk. While questions of medical use and decriminalization may have their place in political and societal debates, the fact remains that the younger a person is when he or she uses marijuana, the greater the risk of experiencing emotional and physical difficulties. Fifth, correct the misperception that marijuana is harmless for young people by helping them understand how false normative beliefs work. Review FCD's online resources for students with your child (at www.fcd.org), as well as other websites that address issues of social influence in kids' culture today (as such www.shapingyouth.org). Help young people identify how inaccurate beliefs can facilitate harmful behavior.

Clearing the Air

A significant part of our continuing effort to keep kids healthy must include our ability to consistently reach them with accurate information. Social norms research has consistently shown that teenagers greatly overestimate the amount and frequency of alcohol and other drug use by peers. This overestimation is even greater when young children are asked to estimate the amount of use by older students. Social norms research demonstrates that students of all ages are less likely to engage in substance use and other risk-taking behavior when the exaggerated misperception is corrected. Correct students' unhealthy misperceptions with positive information, such as: Use of illicit drugs among young people in 2009 was lower than in 2002. Both tobacco and cocaine use continue to decline among youth 12-18 years old. Students who say they probably or definitely will complete four years of college have lower rates of illicit drug use than do those who say they probably or definitely will not. Fewer students consumed alcohol for the first time before age 13 in 2009 than in 2007. Three out of four high school students have not used marijuana in the past 30 days. Confront the myths. The fact remains that most U.S. teens have never used marijuana. Don't let the hype distract from the fact that youth who use marijuana are in the minority among their peers, and their use comes with real risks.

References

HW Perkins and AD Berkowitz. (1986). "Perceiving the community norms of alcohol use among students: Some research implications for campus alcohol education programming." International Journal of the Addictions, 21: 961-976. Rolling Stone Magazine. "Hot Drugs." October 14, 2010. Chuan-Yu Chen, PhD, Carla L. Storr, ScD, and James C. Anthony, PhD. (2009). "Early-onset drug use and risk for drug dependence problems." Addictive Behaviors, 34(3): 319-322. US Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Office of Applied Studies. "Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Volume I. Summary of National Findings." FDA Statement. "Inter-Agency Advisory Regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a Medicine." April 20, 2006. Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. "Balanced Media Needed in 'Medical Marijuana' Debate." November 12, 2009. Boston Globe. "Pot Perceptions." September 24, 2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. 2011 Results. Accessed Online: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/YouthOnline/App/Default.aspx. December 4, 2012.