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Recently, Drugstory hosted a roundtable discussion for entertainment writers to learn from experts about marijuana use by kids. The roundtable, fourteenth in a series sponsored by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, primarily focused on the risks of marijuana use by youth and the important role parents play in early diagnosis and treatment.
Betty Ann Bowser, education correspondent for PBS' NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, led the panel discussion. Speakers included:
- Alan J. Budney, Ph.D.: Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Vermont. His current research focuses on behavioral treatments for adult and adolescent marijuana abuse and enhancing our understanding of marijuana withdrawal.
- Karen Miotto, M.D.: Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA School of Medicine and the former Director of the UCLA Alcoholism and Addiction Medicine Service.
- Michelle* and Bill*: Two teens in recovery from marijuana use.
- Sheila*: A mother with three children in treatment for marijuana use.
* Name has been changed.
The following quotes are a sampling of excerpts from their conversation.
Potency of Marijuana Today:
Dr. Miotto: The important thing we have to keep in mind is that the marijuana of the past is different than the marijuana around today. It's much stronger now.
Dr. Budney: Now what's on the street is at the highest level of potency. Some of us who may have been familiar with marijuana several years ago may have heard of the very potent pot that was very hard to get. Now most of the marijuana on the market is at least as strong as that very potent strain. And it only goes up from there.
Bowser: How does that effect people's behavior?
Dr. Budney: You get more dramatic effects. You see people with more severe problems and addictions.
Marijuana as an Addictive Drug:
Bowser: Is marijuana as addictive as heroin?
Dr. Budney: Yes. Is it as severe a withdrawal? No-the drama of the withdrawal is not as severe, but it is there. One of the primary areas of study now is marijuana withdrawal. When you find a hallmark of withdrawal it proves that a drug is addictive. We are starting to study the withdrawal system, and we are seeing that marijuana is more similar to other drugs like cocaine and (nicotine).
Bowser: What do you know about how much kids can smoke before they become addicted?
Dr. Budney: There are several factors that come into play - how much you smoke, what else exacerbates the use like environment and availability of the drug, and also what was going on in the kid's life prior to use. It depends on the kid.
Bill: All I know is that I wanted to smoke marijuana every day.
Michelle: For me, it was mentally and emotionally addictive. At first it made me feel very good. But after a while, it was just what I did to feel "normal."
Sheila: Is it addictive? You bet. My husband (who was an addict) could never put it down.
The Negative Effects of Marijuana Use:
Michelle: I was smoking three times a day and I was still unhappy. I was suicidal and really, really depressed.
Bill: I never did my homework because I was always smoking pot after school. My grades suffered. I also moved from marijuana to other drugs. I know for sure if I didn't use marijuana, I wouldn't have used other drugs.
Sheila: My three kids were stoned daily. They did just enough schoolwork to get by. They had no motivation. Then two of them got arrested for drugs. They didn't take it seriously.
Marijuana as a Precursor to Other Illegal Behavior:
Bowser: We often hear that marijuana is a "gateway drug."
Dr. Budney: That's a confusing point. In fact, 99 percent of cocaine or heroin users have smoked pot. So in some ways it is a precursor. The other side of that is that 85 percent of people who smoke pot only smoke pot. The problem with saying that it is a "gateway drug" is that it makes it appear that it is not dangerous on its own.
Bill: When my friends and I started smoking marijuana we always said that we were never going to try anything else. And then those other drugs came along and we thought we would just try them once. Once you try them once, you think it's okay to keep using. I know now that all of those friends that I started smoking marijuana with are still using marijuana and other drugs today.
Treatment for Marijuana Use:
Bill: I went through a treatment program but it didn't really work. I was still using. Then I got arrested and went back into the treatment center. It was a real wake-up call. I had to change all my friends because I knew they would be a bad influence on me.
Michelle: When my parents found my drug paraphernalia, I was sent to a drug treatment center that didn't really work for me. I continued to use. A month later I went to another treatment center that worked. I was finally aware of the consequences.
Bowser: Did your parents go through treatment with you?
Bill: Yes. It was very difficult but I am glad they did. I just realized at some point that my mom was more important than my friends.
Michelle: I couldn't have imagined it any other way. I needed to make sure that my parents were on the same page. As a kid it's sometimes impossible to see what's right and what's wrong. My parents learned a lot, and this impacted my life as well.
Dr. Budney: We know more and more kids are being admitted into treatment with marijuana as the primary drug of abuse. We also know that kids are seeking treatment on their own. Behavior-based treatments seem to work pretty well.
The Importance of Parental Involvement:
Dr. Miotto: Kids are starting to experiment with marijuana at ages 10 or 11. Parents look at their kids and think, "No way. It couldn't happen to my kid." But the truth is they are starting as early as age 10 these days. You have to be looking for it. Marijuana use often goes unnoticed by parents, and that's a real problem.
Dr. Budney: And it's also important to note that the earlier they start, the worse off they are. They are going to have more problems later on. Parents want to deny it and they want to protect their kids. They are hoping that it's just experimentation. They think that it's going to go away. Often, it's not clear to them how much is used. But if you find it in the house, it's probably too late. That kid is not just a casual user.
Bowser (To Bill): How did your mom not know?
Bill: She was never around. My dad had left and she was working hard to put food on the table. She gave me quite a lot of responsibility. I think she thought it would lead to good things but in the end it ended up hurting me. I hate to blame my parents, but if they would have asked questions and been more attentive, I would have been better off. There is no way that I would have been smoking pot if I knew I had to come back home and look my parents in the eye and tell them I was straight.
Michelle: When your parents are not on the same page, it's easier to get away with things. You need to have a healthy fear of getting in trouble.
Sheila: Since my husband is a former addict, we always thought we would be the first to know. But in reality, we were the last. One of things I learned is to set boundaries. It doesn't take long to figure out that you don't have strong enough boundaries. Parents have to remember - we're in charge, not them.
Dr. Budney: A lot of parents don't think it's okay to be tough about marijuana but parents are an important piece of the picture. They can be a measure for kids on what's okay to do and not to do.
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