happy + healthy
marijuana myths
WEEDING
OUT THE MYTHS ON
MARIJUANA
With some states now legalizing
marijuana for recreational use,
drug education has never been
more critical. In fact, marijuana
use now surpasses tobacco use
for many young people.
MYTH NO. 1: MARIJUANA IS “ALL
NATURAL” AND THEREFORE NOT
REALLY HARMFUL.
Marijuana is stronger today than ever
before. THC, the psychoactive or mindaltering part of the plant, previously
hovered at around 3%. Now the average
THC level is closer to 17%, with some
plants testing between 20-30%. Marijuana
is no longer “just a plant.” New forms of
marijuana known as “concentrates” which
go by names such as “budder”, “shadder”,
or hash oil can contain up to 60-90%
THC.
MYTH NO. 2: MARIJUANA IS
SAFER AND BETTER FOR YOU
THAN CIGARETTES OR ALCOHOL.
Regular use of marijuana at a young age
can create biochemical and structural
changes to the brain. In fact, these effects
are additive and dose dependent; the
more you use, the more likely you are to
create a change.
Marijuana causes intellectual impairment,
harming memory, attention, critical-decision making, and learning. Scientists have
coined this as the “dumbing down effect.”
Marijuana is also linked to mental health
14 |
Spring 2016
17
%
TEENS
of
using
marijuana become
addicted
FOCUS will have
a student rally on April 28
in Talladega. Register at
thefocusprogram.com
issues including depression, anxiety,
and psychosis. Research has shown that
regular daily to weeky use of high potency
marijuana can increase one’s risk of
psychosis 3-5 times that of the general
population.
Parents and education are the greatest
factors in preventing drug use—so
here’s a gameplan:
The American Lung Association has
reported that pot has many of the same
cancer causing agents as tobacco smoke.
Smoking marijuana deposits more tar in
the lungs than traditional cigarettes and
causes chronic cough, wheeze, phlegm
production and frequent infections.
2. M
ake rules on drug use and set clear
Temporal links have also been found between pot and arrhythmias, strokes, and
other major cardiac events.
4. Role-play real life situations so your
MYTH NO. 3: MARIJUANA ISN’T
HABIT-FORMING.
10% of adults and 17% of young adults
who use marijuana will become addicted.
According to the National Institute on
Drug Abuse, with daily or near daily use
the addiction rate climbs to 25-50%.
Addiction rates show that young people
are more susceptible to marijuana
addiction. The human brain is “under
construction” until around the age of 25.
When you use marijuana at a young age,
neuronal changes occur that predispose
dependency and addiction. In fact, the
younger a person is when they start using
pot, the more likely they are to become
addicted.
www.potentialmagazine.com
1. Talk early and often. Many risk-taking
behaviors start in middle school.
consequence if these rules are broken.
3. Base drug education on facts. Check
out the National Institute of Drug
Abuse for up-to-date, reliable information. http://www.drugabuse.gov
teen is prepared when confronted with
situations involving drugs.
Dr. Shannon
Murphy is a
board certified
Pediatrician.
She currently
serves on the
American
Academy of
Pediatrics
Practice
Advisory Committee
for Adolescent Substance Use. With the
Drug Education Council, she coordinates a
non-profit coalition, SAM Alabama, whose
goal is to educate parents and kids on the
public health issues and safety concerns
associated with marijuana.