An unfortunate reality for parents across the world today is that there are numerous substances that pose a threat your child’s mental and physical wellbeing.
It can be really difficult to keep on top of all the potential dangers that face your child as they navigate their way though life and into their teenage years and adulthood.
Increasingly, one of the main concerns of parents is the risk of children taking up use of cannabis.
In the UK, cannabis is an illegal drug. It is also known by other names, like weed, marijuana, grass, and ganja.
It is cultivated from a plant, and is commonly ingested through the smoking of the dried leaves (sometimes mixed with tobacco in a cigarette), or by being baked into edible food items like cakes or brownies.
It is a psychoactive drug that can cause a powerful high, due to the THC and CBD compounds found in the drug. Many people use the drug believing it will “chill them out”, similar to how some people use alcohol to unwind after a stressful day.
In the UK, the rates of cannabis use are high. The drug is the most commonly used illicit substance in the UK, and around £2.6 billion worth of cannabis is sold across the country in a single year.
Some of these sales are too young adults, teenagers, and children. By the time children reach the age of 17, research suggests that almost a third of them will have used cannabis at some point.
A proportion of this number started using the drug when they were young, and 15-year-olds are the age group most likely to be receiving treatment for their use of cannabis.
Research into the exact numbers of younger teenagers using the drug (between the ages of 12 – 16) isn’t clear, but with the extent of drug use taken overall, it is likely to be a significant number.
Unfortunately, this means that from as young as 12, children are exposed to cannabis and risk using the drug.
There are many reasons why children use cannabis, often similar to the reasons why people use non-illicit substances like alcohol.
Primary among these reasons is the use of cannabis in social situations. The drug is commonly consumed at parties and will often be shared around a group.
Some children feel the impact of peer pressure to use the drug in situations like this, even if they don’t want to or they don’t think they should. Equally, they might use the drug to try and project an image of themselves to their peers, in order to try and better fit in.
There is also an element of drug use that is related to sheer curiosity. If cannabis is a taboo topic, the use of the drug could seem appealing simply because it’s transgressive.
A child may also be interested in experiencing the effects caused by the high that cannabis can provide.
Decades of research have highlighted that using cannabis has a very wide range of detrimental impacts on children and teenagers.
First among these is a drop in academic performance. This is caused by a decrease in IQ that has been related to the use of cannabis.
One study observed that children who used the drug heavily dropped an average of 8 IQ points by the time they reached adulthood. In comparison, children who did not use the drug typically saw a small increase in IQ by the time they reached adulthood.
Academic performance is also negatively impacted by a drop in motivation, interest and concentration that is linked to cannabis use.
The brain is still developing during the childhood and teenage years, and research has made it clear that the use of cannabis throughout those years does impact the development of the brain.
One way in which it does this is by disrupting the development of the prefrontal cortex, which is still maturing until an adult reaches their mid-twenties.
The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain that is associated with rational decision-making, forward planning, and organisation.
People whose prefrontal cortex development has been disrupted tend to be less able to make clear, thought-out decisions, instead relying on instinct and emotion which can lead to an increase in risky behaviour.
Another way that cannabis use throughout the childhood and teenage years impacts the brain is with the development of the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is the area of the brain that is related to short-term and long-term memory.
Research shows that children and teenagers who used the drug frequently for a prolonged period of time had significant disruption to the formation of their hippocampus.
This impaired development has repercussions for the long-term memory, in particular, making it harder to develop and retain memories. This has a big impact on the life of a person, as memory is so important to the functioning of an adult throughout their life.
Unfortunately, the effects of cannabis on young children and teenagers aren’t just limited to the development of the brain. Cannabis is also linked to the development of many, serious mental health conditions.
Firstly, cannabis is strongly linked to the onset of depression and anxiety. Partly, this is linked to the loss of motivation and social isolation it can cause, but it also seems to make the development of depression and anxiety more likely even among children and teenagers who struggle less with this.
These conditions can be very serious, often requiring clinical intervention.
The use of cannabis can also trigger psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia and psychosis in individuals who are genetically vulnerable to the conditions. That means, if a child or teenager has a family history of mental illness like this, the use of cannabis is extremely risky.
Children are also more likely to become addicted to cannabis through regular use than adults who use the drug. It isn’t completely clear why this is, but addiction has a huge impact on a person’s life, and this can be especially disruptive if they’re a child or teenager.
The signs that point to cannabis use are related to the symptoms of taking cannabis, so it’s useful to know what to look out for if you are concerned about your child using the drug.
Here is a list of warning signs that could point to cannabis use:
If they suspect that their child is using cannabis, some parents find it useful to know where the common spots are that a child or teenager might be hiding their supply of cannabis.
Some of the most common hiding spots are:
Finding hard evidence of cannabis use through discovering a supply of cannabis can be useful if you want to confront your child about their drug use, but searching for the drug (for example by searching through their room) can also cause conflict and can be perceived as an invasion of privacy.
While it’s useful to know the common hiding spots, think carefully before taking the step of searching through the entire house.
The prior steps and information are all useful if you believe that your child is using cannabis.
However, prevention is widely regarded as the best tool, as it stops the uptake of cannabis in the first place which leads to improved outcomes for your child’s life and your relationship with them.
If you want to prevent your child or teenager from using cannabis, consider the following techniques.
A large part of the reason why children and teenagers use cannabis in the first place is because of curiosity about exactly what the drug is, its impacts, and the people who use it. This can be enough to push some children and teenagers to use the drug.
However, if you have regular, frank conversations with your child about cannabis and drugs more widely, you can remove the mystery from cannabis, and therefore some of the attraction.
Explain, clearly, what cannabis does to the body and how that makes a person feel. Explain how it is used, and why.
If you aren’t completely honest and don’t answer any of their questions about the drug, they might feel like you’re hiding something from them, which could make the drug seem mysterious again.
So, talk about cannabis with them. Use the opportunity to dispel myths, and give them an accurate picture of the drug.
Without trying to scaremonger, you should do your best to educate your child about precisely what the negative impacts of cannabis are: a drop in IQ, bad decision making, issues with long-term memory, and addiction.
These are serious consequences, and they deserve to be taken seriously. If your child is fully aware of the consequences of cannabis use (and many aren’t, it’s widely believed by lots of young people that cannabis is completely harmless) they should be able to make better decisions in the future.
One conversation might not be enough. If your child is experiencing temptation every time they go to a party, your conversation with them about cannabis can seem further and further away.
Try to talk about the drug regularly, especially if your child if going through a part of their lives where they spend a lot of time partying or socialising.
\This will keep the information about cannabis at the top of their minds, and they will be able to recall it when faced with difficult decisions.
Even when your child is getting older, remaining connected to what’s going on in their life is important. Knowing where they are, what they’re up to, and what their interests are will help you to talk to them.
By talking to them more, you have the chance to provide your insight and opinion and answer any questions they have for you. This could include questions bout drug use, and if you’ve had conversations about this topic with them before they might feel more able to ask questions to you.
Spending time with the friends of your child can also be a big help. It allows you to establish what kind of social circle your child is in, and what kind of activities they are partaking in.
This doesn’t have to mean going to parties with them -in fact, this is likely to come across as overbearing and might push your child to hide their activity from you.
Instead, you could drive your child and their friends to events, and pick them up if they need it. This way, you’re introducing yourself to them and it’s clear that you are an important support figure in your child’s life.
If you believe that your child’s friends are pushing them to use cannabis, you should have a conversation with your child. If you’re still concerned, you could then consider talking to the parents of your child’s friends and explaining your worries.
Show your child the right way to act. You don’t need to be prudish about drugs to show them that they shouldn’t use cannabis, so you should be open to having mature conversations about all topics.
Don’t use cannabis yourself, especially not in front of them, and avoid other related behaviour that can normalise substance misuse. For example, if you binge drink, you’re showing your child an unhealthy relationship with a substance and that could impact how they see cannabis in the future.
If prevention hasn’t worked, and you discover that your child is using cannabis, you should do your best to ensure that the drug use isn’t regular, doesn’t become a habit, and stops as soon as possible.
This could even involve seeking help from support services like a rehabilitation centre, which will help your child to end their drug use.
Try your best not to be angry at your child and punish them. Cannabis is prevalent among young people, and it’s likely that they were influenced by friends or others with the use of the drug.
Try to be understanding, and explain that you’re there to support them, and do what’s best for them.
Cannabis use is common among all age groups, including children and young teenagers.
Cannabis use has many negative outcomes for children, and can significantly impair cognitive development in relation to decision-making, memory, and intelligence.
There are many steps you can take to prevent your child from using cannabis.
These include:
[1] Cannabis and depression
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33332004/
[2] Effects of cannabis on the adolescent brain
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
