DO I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH CANNABIS?

We know that cannabis is a substance consumed by adolescents and young people among whom there is a very low perception of risk. It has also become a ritual that opens the doors to the adult world, being for most a source of experimentation.

In this context, the appearance addiction-cannabisof highly divergent articles, publications and opinions in the different media or on the Internet, some by experts, others by consumers or even due to the interests of a new sector, causes confusion in families and in the indications that many of the parents give their children, but also the defense of mistaken ideas in some of our young people.

Accepting that young people can consume but if they do so it must be with the right information is part of the work that must be carried out by professionals in drug addiction, as well as by the administration, those responsible for cannabis clubs or by adult consumers and families themselves. By providing them with information, we will help our young people not to make decisions that end up harming their maturation process.

In this sense, our current work leads us to the following reflections:

Clarify that it is true that cannabis is a plant and therefore it is a natural and ecological product. But it is no less true that natural and risk-free are not synonymous. Tobacco or opium are also natural but we are clear that their consumption carries risk.

Although cannabis is used for therapeutic purposes, the bottom line is not that smoking it is good for all conditions. Cannabis has recognized medical uses and is beneficial for some people who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments, but the administration is done in a controlled manner and has nothing to do with its recreational use. Something similar happens with What Is The Role Of Family In Drug Prevention? drugs derived from opium and nobody thinks that it is good to consume heroin.

Some believe that if it were not prohibited, it would be consumed less. It is not true, legalization does not guarantee that the level of consumption will be reduced, what it will facilitate is that the black market disappears and that the supply of cannabis can be regularized.

Another misconception is that cannabis use can be controlled as it is not addictive. The truth is that the short- and long-term effects of cannabis are widely described in the scientific literature and that cannabis use correlates with school failure, demotivation, apathy, increased irritability, personality disorders, psychotic disorders (schizophrenia), depression and anxiety.

Another myth is that smoking cannabis is less harmful to my health than smoking tobacco because the number of joints is reduced compared to the number of cigarettes. The reality is that cannabis contains many of the same carcinogens and mutagens as tobacco, and that smoking it without a filter and with deep inhalations also increases the risk of cancer.

In conclusion, when some parents worry that their child is smoking joints, refuses to quit and they fear that they will end up contracting an addiction , it is important that before initiating an outright ban they allow themselves and learn to dialogue with their child, try to agree on some limits based on mutual respect, and in the event of a conflict, they propose consulting with an expert to help the family handle the situation without alarms but also without risks.