While On Life's Journey.....

Dear MAx,
I just can’t believe this! My eighth grade daughter told me that one of her teachers told the class that marijuana does NOT cause brain damage! Is this correct information? Is it ok for teachers to be telling their students this?

Marty

Dear Marty,
The good news is that the effects of using marijuana is being taught in schools! The bad news is that the information may not be exactly accurate.

Remember, too, Marty, adolescence sometimes have selective hearing, please be sure to check with the teacher to learn what exactly was said.

Your concern is a good opportunity to put the facts of using marijuana on the table in hopes of eliminating some of the myths of using and giving some facts about using.

Tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, is the main psychoactive substance found in the cannabis plant which produces the “bud” people know as “marijuana”, “pot”, or “weed.” THC causes adverse effects to the mind and body by acting as a receptors in several parts of the brain, which then interferes with the neurotransmitter process of activating thoughts and actions.

THC typically reaches the brain within seconds after it is inhaled and begins to go to work on interfering with brain chemistry. Three specific parts of the brain that is effected is the hippocampus, the cerebellum, and the basal ganglia. These three parts of the brain control:

-short-term memory
-coordination
-learning
-problem solving
-distorted perceptions

The “relaxing and mellow” effects of using marijuana is very fleeting; feelings of paranoia and panic often follow. Initial effects will wear off within a couple hours, but the chemicals stay in the body for much longer, often resulting in a cumulative effect.

Resulting psychological symptoms from ongoing use most commonly show up as irritability, nervousness, depression, anxiety, anger, insomnia, and changes in appetite.

Physical effects of long-term use include: bronchitis, emphysema, bronchial asthma, dry mouth, red eyes, heart disease.

Social effects of long-term use of marijuana include poor academic performance, poor job performance with increased absences from work, and isolation.
Of course, there are those people reading this right now that believe that marijuana needs to be legalized. And, there are those people reading this that have legal marijuana medical cards. Both of these topics are two more future columns.

It is important to note that researching the effects of marijuana has been a daunting task for legitimate research organizations such as National Institute of Health, Center for Disease Control, and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Drugs. Controls by the US government relating to clinical trials often hinder extensive research to determine the physical and psychological effects of long-term use. Many of the research “quotes” that support the myths and long-term effects of marijuana were published prior to 2005; many of these quoted studies may not have been conducted scientifically based on best practices research.

What we know, using data developed from treatment centers and outpatient programs, is that more teens with the primary diagnosis of “marijuana dependence” are entering treatment. It has been estimated that up to 62% of teens currently in drug treatment are there because of a dependence on marijuana.

Marty, your daughter and her generation will probably be the generation that will change the perception and use of marijuana. I think it is important that the adults guiding her have to correct information.

Whenever I write, or discuss this topic, I think of think of Aldous Huxley’s 1931 book “Brave New World” which describes an entire society that is hooked on “soma”. I wonder if marijuana is “soma”, and if we are becoming the society he described?

What I wanted to accomplish in this column is to give you just the basic facts that I hope is being taught in schools. And, I also want to stimulate thought and conversations about the use of marijuana among educators, parents, and the community in general. If we understand, we can help the “kids” understand. My e-mail is listed below; I am open to hearing your views about the use of marijuana.

I would also like to recommend a website that I think would be appropriate for your adolescents: NIDA FOR TEENS at
http://teens.drugabuse.gov/mom/mom_mj1.php

I recognize from my clients that it is difficult being a parent these days; but I also recognize from the teens that come through my office that it isn’t easy being a kid these days. All we can do is reach out for support and keep the lines of communication open.
Be well, and alert, on your journey.
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Have a question about addiction, recovery, or life transitions such as retirement, career change, grief and loss issues, empty nesting, etc, ‘Ask MAx’. Send your questions to Lifestyle Changes, PO Box 1962, Eugene, OR 97440; or, e-mail your questions to: askmaxcolumn@yahoo.com. Learn more about MAx Fabry and read her blog at www.lifestylechangescounseling.com.