Find out how to Discuss to Teenagers About Edibles
A few years ago, my high school daughter came home and told about gummy bears rumors circulating in our local middle school. Until then, I didn’t realize that I needed to add edible cannabis to the list of topics to address with teenagers in my care. For teens, the widespread legalization of marijuana has lowered many of the barriers to experimenting with it. Along with a range of vaporizers, oils, and tinctures, they’re gaining increasing access to edibles – pot-filled cookies, brownies, candies, and more. This means that the conversations parents must have with their older children about marijuana have a new wrinkle. The good news is that many of the tactics used to navigate other tricky topics with teenagers can be used to talk about why edibles aren’t as harmless as they might look. Learn more about what they cover and how here.
Just because they’re legal doesn’t make them safe.
Many teens already underestimate the risks associated with marijuana. Petal Modeste, assistant dean of Columbia Law School and host of the Parenting for the Future podcast, noted that changing laws are affecting teenagers in a number of ways. “Legalization makes marijuana appear less dangerous while also making marijuana products more available,” she said. With respect to edibles in particular, one study found that the longer cannabis is legal in a community and the more pharmacies there are in the area, the more likely teenagers will try them.
Dr. Jacob Borodovsky, lead study author and epidemiologist at the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health in Dartmouth, said he was concerned about marketing. If you live in a state where cannabis is legal, you will likely see roadside billboards with pictures of pot leaves and catchy slogans like “Think Higher.” “It is one thing to legalize marijuana and another to get it up everywhere on social media and on billboards,” he said. In fact, the more marijuana ads teenagers see, the more likely they are to have a positive attitude towards cannabis, try it, and draw negative conclusions from it.
To address this, parents could acknowledge the mixed messages teenagers get around marijuana products, especially if they regularly come across advertisements and pharmacies promoting them. Start by saying, “I see. Pot doesn’t seem like a big deal. But please remember that things can be legal and dangerous – take tanning beds and cigarettes, for example. “
Edibles may appear less harmful than other substances.
Unlike smoked pot, edibles can look harmless, let alone delicious. They can also be passed around openly. And with no smoke or alcohol on your breath, edibles can induce a stealthy high. Children can take them in between lessons, while dancing or in the stands at soccer games without having to hide a trace.
All of these factors can lead a tween or teen to try edible foods. This may be especially true for young people who are impulsive or looking for thrills, traits linked to susceptibility to substance use. Dr. Fred Muench, president of Partnership to End Addiction, a nonprofit that helps families and individuals prevent and recover from addiction, hopes parents will “step in their children’s shoes” and realize how difficult it is for young people be able to deal with tempting situations.
To get a conversation going, parents can ask teenagers what they know about edibles or what they would do if a friend wanted to share a pot of brownie. From there, parents could encourage teenagers to think carefully about how they would say no and what could make it difficult to refuse. Would the teen be concerned about losing a friend if they don’t try? “If so,” said Dr. Münch, “then you have to check the friendship again. If not, then let’s go. ”And should the teenager be courageous and curious? This is where adults could focus on safety concerns. “Even if you don’t get caught,” one parent might say, “you could get hurt. That’s what I’m worried about, and that’s why I want you to worry. “
It’s easy to take too much.
“Smoking cannabis and ingesting it are two different beasts,” said Dr. Eric Kaczor, an emergency physician and toxicologist practicing at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. While inhaled marijuana often works in minutes, edibles can take at least 30 to 60 minutes to kick in as the psychoactive compounds work through the digestive system.
Children who expect quick effects from eating edibles may become impatient and ingesting extra servings. “They take an extra dose or two because they think the first one won’t be enough to get the job done,” said Dr. Kaczor, “and in the end they take on way too much to chase a high.”
Even when edible foods arrive in properly labeled packaging, teenagers may not understand how much THC (the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis) they are actually consuming. For example, a single cookie can contain hundreds of milligrams of THC to be consumed in multiple servings. And when it comes to edibles sourced through unregulated channels, all bets are ruled out. “When you buy something online or use someone else’s homemade product,” said Dr. Kaczor, “you can’t be sure that it contains any cannabis product at all, let alone potency.”
To address these realities with a teenager, emphasize how edibles differ from other forms of marijuana. Let them know, “Edibles are tricky. The effect is delayed; It can be hard to know how strong they are, and you may not even know what they’re made of. It’s easy for things to get out of hand. “
The effects can be frightening.
An important message to send to teenagers is that consuming high doses of THC can lead to overwhelming results. High doses of THC can cause a number of effects, including lethargy, confusion, incoordination, severe anxiety, rapid heart rate, and vomiting. Seizures and respiratory depression – slow or ineffective breathing – are particularly frightening symptoms that are known to occur.
Teens should know how the substances they may encounter affect the brain and body. And adolescents can be particularly receptive to adult guidance when we base our drug concerns on basic biological realities, rather than arbitrary moral or legal considerations.
Parents might say something like, “Using too much marijuana can really mess up your central nervous and cardiovascular systems, among other things. You could panic or lose track of it, your heart rate skyrocketing, or you could start throwing up because of other symptoms that would send you to the emergency room. With edibles, you can inadvertently find yourself in a very frightening situation – and that’s the last thing I want for you. “
Young people are uniquely vulnerable.
Any conversation with teenagers about edibles should be viewed as an opportunity to increase the danger that marijuana use can pose to the parts of the brain involved in learning, memory, and purposeful behavior, especially teenagers. Point out that no matter how cannabis gets into your body – whether you smoke, eat, or drink it – marijuana is tough on a developing brain. You could say something like, “I care about you and I don’t want nothing to prevent your ability to learn, focus, or think on your feet, now or in the future.”
In addition to delving into the dangers of THC itself, parents can delve into the risks of high alcohol consumption, especially if a teen could end up behind the wheel of a car or in an unpredictable situation like a big party. When things go wrong – which is certainly possible when teenagers get together – young people are always safest when they have their wits.
Sometimes teenagers use edibles as part of a regular pattern of use that includes smoking and vaping marijuana. If you suspect a teenager in your care may have a drug problem, you should consult local or online resources for guidance on how to proceed.
It’s easy to see the surge in edibles as just one more thing that teen parents need to worry about. While this may be true, we welcome the conversations that edibles make possible to remind teenagers that we – above all – are here to help them manage the risks they face and want them to be take good care of yourself.
