How to talk about Cannabis

Useful tools and resources to help parents and kids start and lead a conversation

Cannabis is a psychoactive plant with over 500 compounds.

The 2 most common are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabinol).

Today's Cannabis is 20-30% more potent than in was in the 1980s.

Concentrated forms such as in edibles, dabs and waxes can reach 99% THC.

There is no safe level of cannabis for youth.

Cannabis affects youth differently than adults because the adolescent brain is still developing and is highly susceptible to the effects of cannabis and other substances.
Cannabis use in adolescence impacts the way that the brain makes pathways and the way it prunes away other pathways that are not used and this can impair the user's ability to perform cognitive, high level brain functions resulting in challenges with memory, motivation, and attention/focus.
- It can also cause up to an 8 point decline in IQ.
The potency (how strong the cannabis is), frequency of use (how often a youth uses), and age of initiation (age when a youth first starts using) significantly impacts the risk of later developing a substance use disorder.
- The higher the potency of the product, the greater the risk of developing a substance use disorder or mental health challenge later in life.
- The more someone uses, the greater the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder or mental illness.
  - Approximately 50% of daily cannabis users become addicted.
- the younger a youth is when they first start using cannabis, the more likely they are to develop a substance use disorder or mental health challenge.
  - About 1 out of 6 people that start using cannabis in their teens develop an addiction in adulthood.

When a person inhales cannabis, the psychological effects can be felt without 15-30 seconds.
When a person uses an edible form of cannabis, effects can be delayed for 30-60 minutes.
No matter which method is used, it is NOT SAFE to drive for 8-12 hours after using cannabis.