How Does Marijuana Affect Our Brains?
by Crystal Collier, PhD, LPC-S author of The NeuroWhereAbouts Guide and creator of BrainAbouts
There is a prevailing opinion in our community today that marijuana is a good and safe choice for treating a multitude of emotional and physical problems in youth and adults. But what are the facts? How does marijuana affect the brain?
What To Do If My Child is Using Marijuana?
by Crystal Collier, PhD, LPC-S author of The NeuroWhereAbouts Guide
Knowledge is the Key
In the era of non-regulated, legal marijuana, parents must empower themselves with current data regarding the effects of mass-produced, genetically modified, high-potency cannabis products. Armed with sound science, parents can confidently adopt a drug-free brain policy that is backed by decades of research documenting marijuana’s deleterious effects on neurodevelopment. Although caregivers never need a reason to keep their children safe, the literature on this topic offers thousands.
First and foremost, follow the functional family rule: Talk, Deal, Trust, Feel. You might be surprised at how many families fail to talk about it using the excuse, ‘Well, I smoked some in high school and I’m okay.’ Some choose not to deal with it by rationalizing, ‘It’s legal now so, it must be safe.’ Others afraid of confrontation decide to avoid the issues that could be causing their kids to turn toward drugs.
