How do you know if your child is acting like a normal teenager or if you’re seeing cannabis use? Here are ten true-or-false statements covering the most likely tip-offs that your teen is using marijuana.
TRUE or FALSE?
8. My teen seems to be anxious and depressed, but that’s just normal teen behavior, not a sign of marijuana use.
FALSE – Your teen may tell you he or she is using marijuana to “chill out” or as “medicine” for anxiety and depression. However, there’s solid scientific evidence that marijuana can cause or worsen these conditions. Marijuana use can definitely trigger depression,[10] and regular users have twice the normal risk[11] for developing it. It can also trigger anxiety[12] or heighten existing anxiety. Meanwhile, anxiety may increase between uses,[13] and anxiety attacks may occur while using.[14]
[10] Volkow, Nora, et al. “Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 370, no. 23, 11 Apr. 2016, pp. 2219-2227., DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra1402309.
[11] Agrawal, Arpana, et al. “Major depressive disorder, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and cannabis involvement in discordant twins: a retrospective cohort study.” The Lancet. Psychiatry vol. 4,9 (2017): 706-714. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30280-8.
[11] Agrawal, Arpana, et al. “Major depressive disorder, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and cannabis involvement in discordant twins: a retrospective cohort study.” The Lancet. Psychiatry vol. 4,9 (2017): 706-714. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30280-8.
[12] Gates, Dr. Peter. “Does Cannabis Cause Mental Illness?” NDARC, ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/blog/does-Cannabis-cause-mental-illness.
[13] Budney, Alan J., et al. “The time course and significance of cannabis withdrawal.” Journal of Abnormal Psychology, vol. 112,3 (2003): 393-402. DOI: 10.1037/0021-843x.112.3.393.
[14] Hayatbakhsh, Mohammad R., et al. “Cannabis and anxiety and depression in young adults: a large prospective study.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 46,3 (2007): 408-417. DOI: 10.1097/chi.0b013e31802dc54d.