Dr. Ronsisvalle: Parents shouldn't normalize marijuana use among their teens

As I stood before approximately 200 parents, I passionately addressed the themes surrounding teen mental health and addiction that we were observing at our LiveWell clinics.

As I wrapped up my talk, I invited the parents to share their questions and comments on the topics covered during the presentation.

Initially, the interactions were polite and expected for such a setting.

Parents inquired about teen discipline and boundaries concerning drugs and alcohol, social media and dating.

My responses followed standard advice, encouraging the moms and dads to establish limits and lead with confidence and strength.

However, the tone and direction of the conversation took an unexpected turn when a father stood up in the back of the room and described his parenting approach to his 16-year-old son, specifically regarding marijuana use.

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The father’s comments about marijuana use raised concerns.

He expressed quite a laissez-faire attitude, stating: “Dr. Mike, kids will be kids. I’m not going to argue with my son about whether or not he smokes marijuana. It’s a fact of life that most adolescents will smoke a little weed. I did it too when I was young, and look at me, I turned out fine! I allow my son and his friends to smoke weed at my house because it seems safer for them.”

I have to admit, I was both surprised and impressed by the father’s candor.

It takes courage to stand in front of a room of parents and openly share a somewhat controversial parenting strategy.

As expected, his comments received both praise and criticism from the other parents in the room.

In many ways, the reactions of these parents mirror the wider cultural conflict surrounding marijuana use, particularly among adolescents.

In the past, most parents would have agreed, at least in theory, that marijuana use was not a good idea for teenagers.

Everyone could agree that teenagers should not engage in illegal drug use, let alone with parental permission in their own homes.

However, the perception of marijuana has undergone a significant shift. The changing attitudes toward cannabis are evident in the evolving state laws across the country.

Currently, 23 states have passed laws allowing recreational use of marijuana, and more states are expected to follow suit in the coming years.

Other states have decriminalized marijuana or legalized its use for medical purposes.

With the transition surrounding cannabis, there seems to be a general consensus that marijuana is a relatively harmless drug.

The idea of presenting a united front among parents regarding weed has been lost amidst the chaos of shifting public and political opinions.

The divergent views among the parents in that room during my talk reflect the diversity and confusion experienced by parents nationwide.

Is marijuana use a significant concern for our kids or is it something to be expected and accepted?

Is marijuana a harmless substance for children or is it a dangerous drug that we should fight to protect our kids from?

At some point during the question-and-answer portion of my presentation, I expressed a clear opinion that probably wouldn’t surprise anyone who has heard me speak on the topic of adolescent drug and alcohol use.

Marijuana is a toxic substance for the developing adolescent brain. It’s a serious issue, and all adults should present a united front to communicate the dangers to teenagers.

Let me outline the key points I shared with that group of parents that can help us all be on the same page.

The research unequivocally shows that any use of marijuana by adolescents is harmful

For years, research on marijuana use has indicated that chronic use, especially among teens, leads to numerous problems.

Studies have established a strong link between weed and various issues, including mental health problems, cognitive impairments and memory issues.

A recent study conducted at Columbia University adds a shocking development to our understanding by shedding light on the long-term effects.

The study examined data from nearly 70,000 teen participants in the National Study on Drug Use and Health.

It revealed that non-disordered cannabis use was about four times more prevalent than cannabis use disorder.

That means that four times as many adolescents used marijuana “casually” compared to those who were actually addicted.

This statistic probably doesn’t surprise many. However, the researchers at Columbia also discovered a significant increase in the likelihood of developing psychiatric disorders for both groups and found that both groups had a significant uptick in the degree to which they developed psychiatric disorders.

Shockingly, teens who were recreational users were two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression and have suicidal thoughts compared to those who did not use marijuana at all.

Additionally, teens who were addicted to marijuana were four times more likely to have mental health problems than non-users.

The researchers also found a correlation between any form of marijuana use and academic, legal, and truancy problems.

So the theory that “kids will be kids … a little weed doesn’t hurt anyone” has been firmly debunked.

We can no longer normalize marijuana use for the developing brain and cling to long-standing myths that it is a rite of passage for adolescecents to experiment with marijuana.

Culturally, we have been moving toward the notion that marijuana is essentially safe and harmless. It is crucial to note that our children have been listening to and absorbing our messages about marijuana.

We consistently have conversations with adolescents at our LiveWell clinics in which they often assert that marijuana is “natural” and might even be a healthy way to manage stress and anxiety.

As parents and caring adults, our primary responsibility is to stand up and speak the truth: any use of marijuana by an adolescent, even casual or recreational use, is harmful.

Why is marijuana so harmful now even for casual users?

The realization that marijuana can be harmful, even for casual users, raises important questions.

Many psychologists find it surprising to discover that recreational use of marijuana can be nearly as damaging as marijuana addiction because, in our field, there has always been an unspoken assumption that it was not significantly harmful.

How many times have adolescent clients who are addicted to marijuana been reassured with statements like, “if you were only smoking weed once a month, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. It’s your addiction that’s the problem.”

However, this new research challenges the long-held belief system that many have relied upon.

These recent findings become clearer when we examine them from a neuroscience perspective. It’s important to note that the new research focuses specifically on adolescence, as there is no contention that marijuana poses nearly the same level of problems for adults with fully developed brains.

The adolescent brain is remarkably malleable and susceptible to environmental influences.

In fact, the amygdala, which plays a central role in fear and threat processing, contains more cannabinoid receptors than any other structure.

During adolescence, one of the key developmental tasks is to learn how to regulate anxiety and stress effectively. This task becomes significantly more challenging if the amygdala is frequently exposed to marijuana, hindering the ability to modulate these emotions.

Another crucial factor to consider is the potency of the marijuana currently available on the market.

It’s essential to acknowledge that marijuana has undergone significant changes and is now a fundamentally different substance from what it used to be.

I’m sure many of you reading this article may find it challenging to accept this shift in our conversation, likely due to personal experiences with marijuana.

You might be confident that the pot you smoked at music festivals in the past couldn’t possibly be responsible for the issues we’re discussing.

However, I’m here to tell you that the marijuana being consumed by our youth today is substantially different from what was available in the 1970s, 80s, or 90s.

Back then, the THC content, the compound responsible for the “high”, was around 2%.

However, the cannabis industry has made significant advancements in increasing the THC percentage. In the 1990s, enhanced marijuana flower contained approximately 4% THC. Fast forward to the present, and many popular strains found in Colorado and California dispensaries boast THC content ranging from 17% to 28%.

But wait, it gets worse.

In our communities, numerous adolescents are now using marijuana through vaping, pens that deliver highly concentrated THC extract separated from the plant. These extracts can contain 3 to 5 times more THC than the marijuana plant itself.

Some of these pens, commonly known as dab pens among the kids, can have THC concentrations as high as 95%.

Clearly, this is not the same substance smoked by the hippies at Woodstock. It has become an incredibly potent substance with significant consequences on the developing adolescent brain and body.

Marijuana causes both mental health problems and exacerbates mental health problems

The new research on marijuana and adolescent mental raises age old question: which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Do adolescents with pre-existing anxiety and depression naturally gravitate toward marijuana, or does marijuana trigger or exacerbate depression, anxiety, and suicidality in previously unaffected kids?

The answer is complex, but it is a resounding “yes” to both scenarios.

It is evident that kids facing mental health challenges find immediate relief through the anesthetic properties of weed.

The release of dopamine induced by weed can provide a temporary sense of well-being, hence the term “high.”

Any attempt to argue against the fact that marijuana offers short-term relief for adolescents is likely to fail. They know this stuff helps them feel better at the moment.

However, what they may not realize is that it ultimately gives rise to more profound mental health problems, potentially leading to severe issues such as psychosis and mania.

However, there’s more to the picture. There exists a mechanism that we don’t fully understand yet, which unleashes mental health issues in adolescents who were previously unaffected.

It could be an underdeveloped amygdala that didn’t have the opportunity to fully mature, or a frontal lobe that has been rewired due to the high concentrations of THC.

Whatever the precise explanation, it’s clear that marijuana intensifies pre-existing mental health problems and also leads some individuals who have never experienced such issues to struggle.

This may be one of the reasons why marijuana use is now associated with both marijuana addiction and recreational use.

The adults can be a part of the solution to the adolescent marijuana crisis

My hope is that we, as parents and caring adults, can come together and take a stand against the normalization of marijuana in our society.

It is crucial that we start by being honest with our children about marijuana.

Let’s not allow ourselves to be drawn into debates with our kids about its legalization for adults; that’s not the essential conversation we need to have at any level.

Remember, adolescents are skilled at manipulation and will try everything to divert your attention from the real issues.

It is important to engage in these discussions by presenting the truth about the detrimental effects of marijuana on mental health.

What if we all refused to conform to societal norms and instead took a proactive approach to establish boundaries and set limits with the teenagers we care about?

Remember, the objective is not to be condescending or punitive but to approach adolescence with a deep understanding that they are receiving messages that portray marijuana as healthy and beneficial.

We should also be sensitive to recognize that even recreational users may be grappling with significant mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Empathy goes a long way when dealing with those who are in pain. Trust that grace is your most powerful tool when interacting with an adolescent about marijuana.

Once you engage in a genuine conversation about the truth of marijuana with a teenager, you’ll be surprised by how often you have the opportunity to contribute to their journey towards health.

Whether it’s a full-blown addiction to marijuana with compulsive daily smoking or casual recreational use, it’s crucial for adolescents to receive professional counseling to help them develop the necessary coping skills to quit.

The demand for this type of treatment is high, which is why we have developed intensive programs for adolescents at our LiveWell clinics.

These programs have proven to be incredibly effective in helping young individuals create internal motivation to stop smoking.

We teach coping skills to manage anxiety, depression and other negative emotions that may be numbed by the chronic use of marijuana.

Additionally, we teach strategies such as mindfulness and behavioral activation to fight against the neurological programming within the developing amygdala, as discussed earlier.

As adults, it is important for us to acknowledge that there are professionals available in our communities who are able to help the teens we love and care about.  You don’t have to face this battle alone.

The professionals at LiveWell are ready to come alongside you and your teen, providing practical strategies that will actually help anyone struggling with addiction or recreational use.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at LiveWell Behavioral Health. We will fight with you to help your teenager find freedom and discover a new hope for the future.

Dr. Mike Ronsisvalle is a Licensed Psychologist and the President of LiveWell Behavioral Health, a psychological services agency that provides counseling to clients of all ages and addictions treatment to adolescents and adults. You can find him at www.LiveWellbehavioralhealth.com or call 321-259-1662.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Normalizing marijuana use among teens is dangerous for parents to do