Pubdate: Fri, 15 Jul 2016
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Vancouver 24 hrs.
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Michael Mui
Page: 3
Cited: McCreary Centre Society: http://www.mcs.bc.ca/

KIDS STICKING WITH POT - DESPITE RISKS

Survey Finds Teens Still Support Smoking Weed, Despite Admitting Its Many Risks

Three-in-four teens who had tried pot in B.C. will likely have missed 
school in the past month. Compared to their peers, these pot smokers 
will have a much higher likelihood of suffering a serious injury or 
concussion, have lower mental health, and a much higher chance of 
committing suicide - among a large list of negative outcomes teens in 
B.C. have themselves identified.

These are the findings from a McCreary Centre Society report on pot 
use based on a survey of teens in B.C. high schools. It's a snapshot 
that reveals - despite the many touted benefits of cannabis - how the 
drug is negatively affecting the adolescent members of society.

The funny thing is that many teens, despite the greater risks 
associated with marijuana use, still stood behind the plant. Several 
even insisted pot saved their lives.

"I heavily use marijuana. It helps me find new ways of coping in life 
and it has helped me realize that I do not need to commit suicide," 
according to a quote of a survey participant - none of the surveyed 
teens are named.

Another said, "I have smoked weed 76 times in the past 30 days ... it 
helps me relieve stress, manage anger, it acts as my anti-depressant 
and anxiety reliever, it helps me calm down, helps me make it through the day."

Annie Smith, executive director of McCreary, said pot was a topic 
most teens seemed enthusiastic to talk about.

"This is one of the areas they're really, really interested in 
talking about. They definitely have some kind of confused ideas about 
benefits, very supportive of it in many ways," she said.

But the tens of thousands of teens who answered the survey in 2013 
made it clear they were negatively impacted - whether they knew it or not.

"They were more likely to have been (hurt) skateboarding, fighting 
with others, and they were less likely to be doing things like 
playing sports," said research associate Duncan Stewart.

"These youth using a lot were also more likely to feel disconnected 
from school."

For example, 19% of teens who smoked pot said they skipped class for 
three or more days per month - compared to just 3% of their peers.

Only 62% of pot smoking youth rated their own mental health as "good 
or excellent" compared to 92% of their peers saying the same.

Stewart says it appears those teens who tried pot were also part of a 
more vulnerable group. For example, 37% of teens identifying 
themselves as refugees have tried pot, 35% of those with physical 
disabilities did the same, as did 39% of those living in poverty - 
defined as going to bed hungry.

However, despite a growing popularity of pot and its anticipated 
legalization in Canada, use has dropped over a period of 10 years. In 
2013, 26% of teens reported having tried the drug, compared to 38% of 
teens in 2003.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom