The Maine Network of Healthy Communities (MNHC) has launched a statewide campaign called “Talk About It Today” to educate parents in Maine about the changing face of the marijuana industry and provide families with information they need to start conversations about this important issue.
“MNHC hopes to educate parents about the ways in which the drug has changed over the years, so they can, in turn, educate their children about the drug’s potential dangers,” Jamie Comstock, president of the organization, said. “We’re seeing historic low rates of youth cigarette, alcohol and non-medical prescription drug use among youth.
While this is excellent news, it concerns us that marijuana use rates remain stable, and according to the 2015 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey the majority of Maine’s high school students don’t view regular marijuana use as harmful. Changes in state laws regarding marijuana use across the country, and media attention about the potential medicinal benefits of marijuana may be having an impact on this shift in attitudes.”
Marijuana today is very different than what parents of teens may have been familiar with during their youth. According to research conducted by The National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy at the University of Mississippi marijuana’s potency has increased significantly over the years. The level of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol – marijuana’s main psychoactive ingredient – has risen from about 4 percent in 1995 to about 12 percent in 2014.
“The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing steadily over the decades,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports. “For a new user, this may mean exposure to higher THC levels with a greater chance of a harmful reaction. Higher THC levels may explain the rise in emergency room visits involving marijuana use.”
In addition to the immediate health risks, “people who begin using marijuana before age 18 are four to seven times more likely than adults to develop problem use,” according to the NIDA. They also found that “people who started smoking marijuana heavily in their teens and continued to abuse the drug lost an average of eight IQ points between ages 13 and 38.”
According to the 2015 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, approximately one in five high school students (19.6 percent) reported using marijuana in the past month.
Additionally, the 2015 Monitoring the Future survey showed declining rates of youth cigarette and alcohol use (including binge drinking), as well as non-medical use of prescription opioid pain relievers for high school students nationwide. However, marijuana use has not declined. Daily use remains flat at 6 percent. For the first time, this rate exceeds tobacco cigarette use among 12th graders (at 5.5 percent).
The “Talk About It Today” campaign launched this week includes posters, which are being distributed to local businesses, schools, and other organizations; a website landing page containing educational resources at TalkAboutItTodayME.org; and TV and radio PSAs, which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVYFme8ILSKLxrD3–wWMWw. The goal is to urge parents to talk to their children about the negative effects marijuana can have on their developing brains and on their future.
“Many of the messages being sent today give the impression that marijuana is safe, but several studies provide evidence that marijuana use is not harmless, especially for our youth,” Melissa Fochesato, Maine Network of Healthy Communities Steering Committee Member, said. “As parents we want to do all that we can to ensure our kids are safe and have healthy, successful futures. Avoiding marijuana use plays a key role in youth doing their best in school, work, and learning new skills.”
Those interested in learning more about marijuana and its effects on teens, should visit TalkAboutItTodayME.org.
