About a month ago we discovered that our 16-year-old son had been vaping CBD oil with THC. There is a perception that CBD oil from hemp is harmless and even beneficial and it’s not. By law, CBD oil is supposed to be no more than 0.3% THC, however, there is little regulation and that is only for the original Delta 9THC and the product had added THC in other forms derived from the hemp including THC-P, THC-H and HHC-P which fall into a grey area and don’t count in the THC limit and are not regulated. THC-P was recently discovered and has been found be stronger than the Delta 9 THC so smaller amounts of it can still create a high. The reason we discovered our son’s use was that he was visibly high (red, glossy eyes). He tried to deny he was using anything and hide his vape cartridge, however, he eventually showed us his vape and told us more about his use which had been going on for several months without us knowing. He later tested positive for THC on a drug screen so we are certain that was what it was. It is hard to know if your kid is vaping. It’s really easy to hide. It is also incredibly easy to buy. I live in a state where Marijuana is not legal, however, he purchased this item on the internet from a company in California. I went to their website to see how he was able to buy this product and it’s as easy as buying anything else off the internet. CBD oil is only supposed to be sold to people 18 or older, however, they don’t confirm the age of the person purchasing the product and it only asks your age as you are entering the website you check a box to say if you are 18 or older. We are working with his pediatrician and therapist and hope that he does not continue using any more THC products. The longer he has been off this product, the more I feel like I am getting my kid back. It was making him moody, combative, and anxious, and he was nearly impossible to wake in the mornings. We knew something was going on, but thought it was his depression and did not suspect substance use and we were completely caught off guard.
Saving Our Youth from the Harms of THC