Tawnya A. FabianWake Forest University

February, 2015

A New Leaf: Modern Day Marijuana

Health Risks andThe Detrimental Effects

on Education for Regular Teen Users

Marijuana: dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)*

Smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes (joints) or in pipes (bongs) Can be mixed in food or brewed as tea Hash oil concentrate, a powerful distillation of marijuana's essential

active ingredients, is mixed into many new and popular cannabis products: edibles, drinks and liquids that can be "smoked" in vaporizer pens like e-cigarettes.**

*National Institute on Drug Abuse **CNBC

PREVALENCE AND TRENDS

• In 2012, 6.5% of high school students reported smoking marijuana daily, up from 2.4% in 1993. (The American Psychological Association)

• The National Institute of Health reports in 2014:– 11.7% of 8th-graders reported marijuana use in the past year; 6.5%

were current users– 27.3% of 10th-graders reported marijuana use in the past year; 16.6%

were current users– 35.1% of 12th graders reported marijuana use in the past year; 21.2%

were current users

• A Denver Post (2014) article notes, “more teens think it’s safe to use marijuana- although so far, it hasn’t shown up in rising usage in Colorado.” However, as “more than half of all teens already say pot is ‘sort of very easy’ to get… and it’s getting progressively easier as youths move through ninth to 12th grades, “Colorado researchers will continue to investigate the teenage use of marijuana,” and how/where they are able to gain access to marijuana.

• A 2014 report by NIDA indicates:– Most marijuana use begins in

adolescence: 78% of the 2.4 million people who began using in the last year were aged 12 to 20.

– As perception of harm decreases, teen marijuana use increases.

– Every day, 3,287 teens use marijuana for the first time

• A 2015 report by NIDA indicates young people believe that marijuana is a safe drug likely due to recent public discussions about medical marijuana, and the public debate over the drug’s legal status. Some teens believe marijuana cannot be harmful because it is “natural.”

PREVALENCE AND TRENDS

Debunking Teenage Beliefs about the

Safety of MarijuanaPBS has compiled a fact sheet on its website reporting the dangers of marijuana, including:

• The daily use of 1 to 3 marijuana joints appears to produce approximately the same lung damage and potential cancer risk as smoking 5 times as many cigarettes. A UCLA study suggests that the way smokers inhale marijuana, in addition to its chemical composition, increases the adverse physical effects. The same lung cancer risks associated with tobacco also apply to marijuana users, even though they smoke far less. (NOTE: The American Cancer Society published a study that found a possible link between using marijuana and testicular cancer.)

• Heavy marijuana use can affect hormones in both males and females. Heavy doses of the drugs may delay the onset of puberty in young men. Marijuana also can have adverse effects on sperm production. Among women, regular marijuana use can disrupt the normal monthly menstrual cycle and inhibit the discharge of eggs from the ovaries.

• An "amotivational syndrome" can develop in heavy, chronic marijuana users. It is characterized by decreased drive and ambition, shortened attention span, poor judgment, high distractibility, impaired communication skills, and diminished effectiveness in interpersonal situations.

The Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outlines the following dangers associated with the use of marijuana: Increased aggression Car accidents Use of other drugs or

alcohol Risky sexual behaviors Increased risk of suicide Increased risk of psychosis

The same breathing problems as smoking cigarettes (coughing, wheezing, trouble with physical activity, and lung cancer

Decreased motivation or interest

Mental health problems (depression, anxiety, anger, moodiness, and psychosis)

Decreased or lack of response to mental health medication

Increased risk of side effects from mental health medication

Long-term use of marijuana can lead to:

“DABBING”

Gives an intense high much beyond the mellow effects of a joint Hash oil concentrate is an extremely potent form of THC Regular marijuana might contain 15% to 18% THC, hash oil

concentrate gets closer to 80% or even 90% Marijuana trim (also known as “bud”) is infused with a

hydrocarbon, usually butane gas Butane strips the THC out of the plant creating marijuana

concentrate; remnants laced with butane, resulting in honey-like substance called “shatter” or “wax”

The concentrate, shatter, or wax is placed in a bowl heated by a blowtorch – the dab vaporizes instantaneously and the user sucks up the smoke – almost pure THC

Additional risk of fire and explosion when trying to extract hash oil using butane

*CNBC, “Marijuana in America: Colorado Pot Rush”

The Definition of the Problem:Marijuana Use and the

Effect on EducationAccording to The American Psychological

Association, frequent marijuana use can have

a significant negative effect on the brains of

teenagers and young adults, including:

• Cognitive decline

• Poor attention and memory

• Decreased IQ – between 6 and 8 points for

regular users

Also, regular cannabis use – once a week – is

not safe and may result in addiction and

neurocognitive damage, especially in youth.

• Affects the brain’s control of emotions, thinking and coordination

• Acts on specific molecular targets on brain cells, called cannaboid receptors

• The highest density of cannabinoid receptors is found in parts of the brain that

influence:

• Pleasure

• Memory

• Concentration

• Sensory and time perception

• Coordinated movement

*American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

The Root of the Problem:

TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL – “THC”

HOW MARIJUANA AFFECTS THE BRAIN*

THC passes from the lungs into the bloodstream

Carried to organs in the body, including the brain

As it enters the brain, THC attaches to cells, or neurons, specifically cannabinoid receptors

Part of a communication network called the endocannabinoid system

This system is important in normal brain development and function

Marijuana triggers an increase in the activity in the endocannabinoid system

Causes the release of dopamine, creating the “high”

Parts of the brain have a lot of cannabinoid receptors, and are most affected by marijuana:• Hippocampus – disrupts its normal

function and leads to problems studying, learning new things, recalling recent events

• Cerebellum – area of the brain that controls balance and coordination, influences activities such as sports and driving

• Frontal Cortex – involves decision making

PATHWAY to DESTRUCTION

*National Institute of Drug Abuse

Reduced school

performance*

• Lower grades• More likely to drop out of

high school than peers who do not smoke

• Effects on attention, memory, and learning can last for days or weeks

Impaired driving*• Alertness, concentration,

coordination, and reaction time all affected

• High school seniors who smoke marijuana are 2X more likely to receive a traffic ticket and 65% more like to get into an accident

• In 2011, 12.5% of 12th graders reported that within the past 2 weeks they had driven after using marijuana *National Institute of Drug Abuse

UP IN SMOKE

UNLESS we choose to

Principles of Prevention

• Prevention programs for middle or junior high and high school students should increase academic and social competence with the following skills:

– Study habits and academic support

– Communication

– Peer relationships

– Self-efficacy and assertiveness

– Drug resistance skills

– Reinforcement of anti-drug attitudes

– Strengthening of personal commitments

against drug abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse identifies a number of principles that are applicable as best practices for group, school, family, and community levels (www.drugabuse.com). For schools, specifically:

Principles of Prevention

• Prevention programs are most

effective when they employ

interactive techniques, such as

peer discussion groups and parent

role-playing that allow for active

involvement in learning about

drug abuse and reinforcing skills.

• Prevention programs should include

teacher training on good classroom

management practices, such as

rewarding appropriate student

behavior. Such techniques help to

foster students' positive behavior,

achievement, academic motivation,

and school bonding.

FOR EDUCATORS, from SCHOLASTIC AND NIDAMARIJUANA: DOWNLOAD THE FACTS

PORTIONS OF A LETTER FROM DR. NORA VOLKOW,

DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE• As an educator, you are aware of how

important it is for teens to have reliable information about drugs. Scholastic and the scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) have created this poster/teaching guide to help students learn how to distinguish facts from myths.

• The lessons and critical-thinking activities will give your students important tools to help them analyze the meaning behind media and social messages.

• Includes a full-color mini-poster for the classroom, four turnkey lesson plans and activity sheets, and is aligned with national standards

Lesson One: Marijuana Facts. Students will review some basic facts about marijuana, and understand how to use this knowledge, along with critical thinking skills, to make informed decisions about marijuana use.

Lesson Two: Consider the Source. Students will understand the difference between a fact that can be verified and a personal opinion. Students will also determine the difference between an opinion based on facts vs. an opinion based on special interest.

Lesson Three: Think it Through. Students will learn how to “read” and understand editorial cartoons

Lesson Four: Analyzing Media Messages. Students will practice analyzing messages in popular song or music video to better understand the number of messages they are exposed to and how, over tine that exposure

*Scholastic

REFERENCES

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2014). Marijuana and Teens. Retrieved from http:www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth

American Cancer Society (2012). Study Links Marijuana Use to Testicular Cancer. Retrieved from http:// www.cancer.org/cancer/news/study-links-marijuana-use-to-testicular-cancer

Budney, A.J., Roffman, , R., Stephens, R.S., Walker, D. (2007). Marijuana dependence and its treatment. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 4(1), 4-16. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC2797098/

National Institute of Drug Abuse (2015). Drug Facts: Marijuana. Retrieved from www.teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/marijuana

Public Broadcast System (2014). Marijuana in the Body. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/ frontline/shows/dope/body/

Scholastic (2015). Marijuana Facts: Breaking Down the Facts. Retrieved from http://headsup.scholastic.com/teachers/marijuana-download-the-facts

Seupel, C. W., and H. Smith. Marijuana in America: Colorado Pot Rush. CNBC. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 26 Feb. 2014. Television.

The American Psychological Association (2014). Regular Marijuana Use Bad for Teens’ Brains. Retrieved from http://apa.org/news/press/releases

The Denver Post (December 26, 2014). Marijuana Increases in Colorado, According to a New Federal Survey. Retrieved from article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItenRelationshipld=6489913