Cannabis And The Youth
When we were young we tried to fit in – It was cool because it was the thing to do or our parents said no. REBELS.
Staying up late smoking pot drinking and in parking lots. What a time. Now 25+ we enjoy the medical more than the recreation part. Legal or not many of us would still continue smoking it. But would 16 year old you smoke it if it was legal? Is it now uncool because it’s legal? Does that mean the youth will stop smoking cannabis? Or maybe they will start? Thinking back to when you were in your teens – the social norm for many was to party, skip school, smoke weed or cigarettes, drink, toke up. It was cool. It was the thing to do. Now In 2018 it seems to be the exact opposite of the “cool” thing to do.
Now the social norm is to have a natural health, vegan, gluten free fitness lifestyle. And for many wellness people, that in includes toking-up on the finest cannabis. All over the world cannabis is now being normalized. For 2018 it’s almost weird if you don’t smoke cannabis. People seem to be quite concerned about the youth. And the effects of making cannabis legal. Will they continue to smoke weed? Will they begin to smoke cannabis. More than what seems to be the better question. Are they educated enough to understand why it is becoming legal.
Lethbridge 4/20/2018: I asked a group of teens from 16-18. “ Why do you smoke weed”
1 out of the 6 had a medical card. The rest of them smoked it because it was either the cool thing to do. Or because it was the thing to do. Asking adults from ages 30-40. They used it for the medical reasons but most all of them did admit to starting the same way. “ it was cool.”
It’s hard to say if the youth will continue to smoke pot or not. Or if they will begin to smoke pot. As a mother of one and a cannabis enthusiast. I have to say this.
“I hope that they don’t begin to think, that it is okay to excessively smoke cannabis. And that
they do read up on why it is now legal. And how hard it was to get here. So that they can truly
appreciate what it is”
Smoking cannabis will still be “ cool” to the youth. Many of them didn’t know what 4/20 stood for or any of the old history of cannabis. It was just “ cool”. The subject on drugs is blowing up – Many newspapers have “the opioid” crisis as first page headlines. Few pages later you can find a small article on cannabis. In our communities, many of us have experienced a death due to overdose. We can’t yet seem to get away from it. But this is also a wonderful time to speak to our youth about this looming subject. There is a lot of focus on cannabis and the youth. Instead of asking each other “Will the youth still/begin to smoke cannabis” The question should be “ Are you and your child educated enough”
Writer: Megan Thiessen