

Following up on the Thursday, April 20, 2023 Program
What was once a relatively simple plant, cannabis has inspired everything from fear to fierce loyalty. We had a conversation about the science of today’s cannabis and its impact on young people’s developing brains. We need to learn all we can about this evolving substance, which bears little resemblance to a plant. This program addressed the effects of increased THC levels, social norms, availability, and the impact on a young, developing brain.
Thank you to the following school districts for sharing this program with their families:
Abington School District
- CAST/Upper Merion Area
- Hatboro-Horsham School District
- Lower Moreland School District
- Perkiomen Valley School District
- School District of Springfield Township
- Upper Dublin School District
- Upper Moreland School District
> Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE)
> The Cannabis/Marijuana Awareness & Prevention Toolkit
> Chronic State (Video)
> Marijuana & Teens (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
> What you need to know about Marijuana Use & Teens (CDC)
> Effects of Cannabis on Adolescent Brain (National Institutes of Health)
> Early Warning Signs of Teen Substance Use (Hazeldon Betty Ford Foundation)
> Teen Drug Abuse: The warning signs. (American Addiction Centers)


Meet Our Presenter!


“Cannabis, Kids & Solutions for Anxiety”
This is a really good time for parents and other caregivers to expand our understanding of cannabis, given the increased use of medical marijuana and questions about what works best for anxious or stressed out kids.
Just as adults may be drinking more to cope with these stressful times, adolescents may be smoking more THC products. Even before the pandemic, adolescent cannabis use was at its highest rate in 30 years.
We discuss healthy and effective ways kids can manage stress and anxiety – today and for a lifetime.
Can Marijuana Help My Teen Manage Anxiety?
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_marijuana_help_my_teen_manage_anxiety
Effects of Marijuana on Mental Health: Anxiety Disorders
https://adai.uw.edu/pubs/pdf/2017mjanxiety.pdf
What are marijuana’s long-term effects on the brain?
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-are-marijuanas-long-term-effects-brain
Cannabis Addiction and the Brain: a Review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11481-018-9782-9#ref-CR72
Does Cannabis Cause Psychosis?
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/cannabis-cause-psychosis
Continued versus discontinued cannabis use in patients with psychosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(15)00363-6/fulltext
Cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and symptoms of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31672337/
Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinically-focused systematic review
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31948424/
Evidence for Use of Cannabinoids in Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD: A Systematic Review
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33530732/
The contribution of cannabis use to variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder across Europe (EU-GEI): a multicentre case-control study
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(19)30048-3/fulltext
VIDEO: The Cannabis Question. As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-cannabis-question/
Meet Our Guest Presenter





“Cannabis. Who Knew?”
On October 12, 2021, we had an illuminating conversation about today’s cannabis and its impact on young people.
We were joined by Laura Offutt, MD, FACP, physician and teen health advocate, and Michael Blanche, MSS, LCSW from Ethos Treatment, LLC. We also heard from Andrew, an individual who previously used cannabis.
International Adolescent Health Week
https://internationaladolescenthealthweek.org/index.html
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/substance-abuse/Pages/default.aspx
https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/teens-ask-there-cure-addiction
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/evolutionary-advantage-teenage-brain
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html
Pediatrics May 2020, 145 (Supplement 2) S165-S174; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2056D
https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/pep19-pl-guide-1.pdf
Meet Our Presenters!






Here are some helpful recordings and links addressing cannabis.
Ben Cort’s full presentation on May 19, 2020
Brian Jenssen, MD, MSHP and Eric Marsh, MD, PhD on July 15, 2020
Experts in the fields of pediatrics, pediatric neurology and substance use disorders presented their perspectives on the impact of marijuana on the developing adolescent brain.
Dr. Joseph Garbely, DO, DFASAM on July 16, 2020
Dr. Garbely is the Chief Medical Officer at Caron Treatment Centers
“Clearing the Air: Vaping, Nicotine & Marijuana” presentation on June 16, 2020
Featuring David Fialko, BS, ICPS, NCTTS, Certified Prevention Specialist with the Council of Southeast Pennsylvania
Visit our Youth Marijuana Prevention Project (YMPP) Page
A 5-Year Initiative funded by the Montgomery County Office of Drug and Alcohol
Recorded on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We were joined by Ben Cort, marijuana policy expert from Colorado and author of Weed, Inc.


Helpful Information
There is a great deal to understand about this very complicated substance. Below are just a few resources.
Marijuana for Anxiety in Teens
PSYCOM
Mar-Anon Meetings
For friends and families whose lives are affected by a loved one’s marijuana use.
Cannabis: Discovering its effects on the body and brain
NOVA Now
It’s Hard to Stay in Recovery as a Teen
Recovery Research Institute
Learn about “Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome”
National Institutes of Health/US National Library of Medicine
Some frequent questions about marijuana, and related responses.
SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana)
Marijuana consumers are 2.7 times more likely to abuse harder drugs.
Marijuana has also been shown to lower pain threshold.
Marijuana worse for teen brains than alcohol, study finds.
NBC News, October 3, 2018
View the full article, published by The American Journal of Psychiatry here.
FDA & Marijuana: Questions & Answers
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
Kevin A. Sabet, PhD, Shares Important Lessons from Cannabis Legalization
“The Buzz,” Center on Addiction
National Adolescent Drug Trends in 2017: Findings Released
University of Michigan Institute for Social Research
Dr. Nora Volkow Discusses Marijuana’s Effects on the Brain, Body & Behavior
NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
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More from NIDA:
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What is Marijuana? (click here)
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What is Medical Marijuana? (click here)
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Talking to your kids. Communicating the risks. (click here)
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The Black Market in States with Legalized Marijuana
- Narcotics officers in Colorado have been busy responding to the 50% increase in illegal grow operations across rural areas in the state (Stewart, 2017).
- In 2016 alone, Colorado law enforcement confiscated 7,116 pounds of marijuana, carried out 252 felony arrests, and made 346 highway interdictions of marijuana headed to 36 different U.S. states (RMHIDTA, 2017).
- The U.S. mail system has also been affected by the black market, seeing an 844% increase in marijuana seizures (RMHIDTA, 2017).
- A leaked police report in Oregon revealed that at least 70% of marijuana sales in 2016 were on the black market and around three to five times the amount of marijuana consumed in Oregon leaves the state for illegal sales (Hughes, 2017; Associated Press, 2017, August 14; OSPDES, 2017).
- The U.S. Attorney in Oregon reported in 2018 that “Oregon has a massive marijuana overproduction problem,” with 2,644 pounds of marijuana in outbound postal parcels and over $1.2 million in cash seized in 2017 alone (Williams, 2018).
Rocky Mountain HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Report
September 2019 | The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact Volume 6
“Legal Marijuana Coming into Focus” – Colorado Health Institute
Updated: April 11, 2017
The Lancet, Psychiatry: Cannabis & Psychosis
May 2015