Talking to your kids about pot

Recently Shannon Murphy, MD, FAAP’s career path changed as she realized the message getting out to families and kids about marijuana was becoming muddled. She had practiced as a general pediatrician at Birmingham Pediatrics at St. Vincent’s for more than 10 years, but now, as Homewood resident, she based her new statewide initiative, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), here. As a part of that role, she speaks to area schools. We spoke with Murphy about what she believes to be one of the most misinformed topics of this generation and how parents can talk to their kids about it.

Why talk about marijuana? Why now?

What if your child came home one day and told you some of their friends at school had started experimenting with pot? They go on to tell you that a few states have legalized it, and it’s really not much of a big deal anymore. Would you know what to tell them? 

This situation is becoming more and more common as states across the country begin to consider legislation which legalizes marijuana. Currently four states (Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Colorado) and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana for those 21 years or older, while 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. 

In light of the recent increase in heroin deaths in our community, getting the message out about marijuana, as well as other drugs of abuse, is even more important. I feel strongly about the message, and I’m eager to reach a larger audience. 

What should parents tell their kids? Is marijuana suddenly OK?

According to the experts, marijuana remains addictive and harmful, especially to the adolescent brain. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently joined with other medical and scientific organizations to state its opposition to legalization of marijuana because of the potential harm it has to children and adolescents. In addition, it opposed the use of medical marijuana outside the regulatory process of the FDA (Federal Drug Administration). It did recognize that cannabinoid administration might be an option for children with severely debilitating conditions for whom current therapies are inadequate. 

Has marijuana changed over the past decades?

The truth is that the marijuana of today is five times stronger than the marijuana of years past. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels, the psychoactive component of the drug, which previously hovered around 3 percent, now average closer to 15 percent and recently, PBS reported levels as high as 36 percent. Some marijuana concentrates (hash oil) can actually be as high as 90 percent THC.

As the plant has become stronger, so have the negative health impacts. Research has shown that marijuana has harmful effects on intelligence, mental health, lungs and the heart.

What can we tell kids about how marijuana can affect them?

Marijuana has a “dumbing down” effect. It impairs learning, memory, coordination and attention. A 2012 study showed that regular users of marijuana at an early age dropped their IQ an average of 6-8 points. Additionally, scientific studies have shown a connection between marijuana use and mental illness. Links have been discovered to anxiety, depression and, most concerning, psychosis and schizophrenia. 

A study released in February out of Lancet medical journal demonstrated that daily use of marijuana raised the risk of psychosis five times, and regular weekend use nearly tripled the risk. The American Lung Association reports that marijuana has a greater number of carcinogens than tobacco smoke, and a recent review in CardioSource (October 2014), a major cardiology newsletter, reports a temporal link between marijuana use and major cardiac events. 

Does age have anything to do with marijuana’s effects? How long do its effects last?

The earlier a person starts using marijuana and the longer he or she uses it, the greater the health risk.

Since marijuana actually stays in the body an average of seven to 10 days, it has an additional risk to the public at large. Although the acute high from marijuana only lasts a few hours, research has shown that the user may remain impaired for days following ingestion. This poses a significant potential threat to the public in regards to safety issues, as it relates to driving and the workplace. 

Is there any information on the results of legalized marijuana?

Since Colorado’s legalization, the state is already seeing the implications. According to recent data from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, use among 12-year-olds and older is now up to 12.7 percent, the second-highest rate in the nation. Rocky Mountain HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas) reports traffic fatalities involving drivers who are positive for marijuana have increased 100 percent from 2007 to 2012. Hospitalizations secondary to marijuana use have increased by 82 percent. 

The most concerning data is from Arapahoe House, a Colorado-based substance abuse network, which reports that adolescent admissions for marijuana use have increased by 66 percent from 2011 to 2014. 

How would you summarize what parents should tell their kids?

If kids start asking questions, parents need to speak strongly and tell them the message has not changed. Marijuana use is still addictive and harmful, and its use has serious consequences. As for the rest of the country, be very cautious. The wrong message may be getting out to our children. 

For more information about SAM, visit learnaboutsam.org.