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Parenting in the age of legal marijuana

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Sonoma Valley Sun

By Leslie Nicholson | For The Sun

“We are not anti-marijuana, and we are not against medical marijuana,” Dr. Richard Von Feldt told a Sonoma Valley parent forum. “Our mission is to help people be better informed about marijuana and to close the gap between popular beliefs and current scientific evidence.”

Von Feldt and fellow psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Ferraro Cunningham are the founders of Panaptic, a Santa Rosa-based organization that works on issues related to marijuana. They made one of their county-wide presentations at Adele Harrison Middle School on February 28, sharing with parents practical information about communicating with their teens about marijuana.

Pointing out that youth get a majority of their information from social media, Von Feldt said there is a great need for accurate information and resources. The presentation included scientific research showing that addiction to any drug causes a “rewiring” of the brain. Once an addict is in recovery, the research also shows that it takes an estimated 90 to 120 days to recover – and the younger the user, the longer it will take the body to recover.

The irony of teens using marijuana for anxiety was also pointed out during the presentation. “Teens that use marijuana once a week or more are 2.5 times more likely to struggle with anxiety,” said Von Feldt. “Developing brains are like cars without brakes. For every year that parents can work on delaying their teen’s use of marijuana, the better the outcomes overall. Helping prevent the long-term damage of early marijuana use is critical.”

One of Panaptic’s primary areas of concern is the upward trajectory of teens using vaping devices to smoke marijuana. “Teens have been marketed to believe that vaping is not harmful. Vaping marijuana increases the concentration of THC to 97-99%,” Von Feldt pointed out. “The vaping industry is projected to see numbers from $55 to $85 billion by 2024. In Colorado, where marijuana was legalized in 2014, there are more vape shops and marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks.”

Following the scientific research portion of the presentation, Von Feldt and Cunningham dedicated time to answer parents’ questions. They also shared practical information with parents about communicating with their teens about marijuana.

“It is normal for teens to underestimate the risks,” said Cunningham, “making it important for parents to be educated about teens and marijuana so they can present the facts to their teens confidently.”

“Most parents are nervous to bring up topics like marijuana with their teens,” Cunningham added. “More information is not always better. Offering little bite-size pieces of information over a period of time is a better approach. These issues often make it hard for parents to know what to do. It is so important for parents to reach out for support when they feel they need it.”

In cases where a teen won’t converse with a parent about marijuana, the experts encourage the parent to still talk about expectations, what is OK and not OK, their concerns and their family rules and boundaries. “The best thing parents can do is reassure their teens that they will always be there for them,” explained Cunningham.

“As vaping and marijuana use by teens continues to increase, I think that there needs to be a cultural shift,” she continued. “Learning more about the effects on health and advocacy for change takes time. Now is an important time for schools, parents and educators to come together to focus on education and prevention. Research and changes in policy always take time to catch up.”

The next presentation in the series of Parent Forums will be “Parenting In The Age of Social Media” on March 27, 6 to 8 p.m. at Altimira Middle School, 17805 Arnold Drive, Sonoma.

Talking to teens about marijuana

  • Find a quiet time and place to discuss issues that may be awkward to discuss with your teens.
  • Check in with your teens by asking “Is this an OK time?”
  • Use a non-judgmental tone of voice.
  • Be authentic – tell your child that you care about his or her future.
  • Talk about your feelings and admit if you are nervous.
  • Share positives with your teen – for example,“I am proud of how hard you have been working in math.”
  • Model for your teens with your behavior.

Leslie Nicholson is the director of R.I.S.K.-Sonoma/Community Support Network for Parents.




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