TEENS EASILY ADDICTED TO MARIJUANA: EXPERT

Developing Brains Are Extra-Vulnerable

Teenagers can easily become dependent on marijuana because their
brains are still developing, says an expert on youth substance abuse.

"Kids can get addicted really quickly," said Kathy Szirtes, a
specialist at the Victoria Youth Forensics Psychiatric Services in
B.C. "An adult may take two years (to become addicted), but kids can
take six months because their bodies are still soft and growing. The
teen brain really isn't done growing."

For teens who use marijuana to deal with anxiety or to get to sleep,
the drug "can literally become hard-wired into them in terms of a
dependency," Ms. Szirtes said yesterday before she was to give the
keynote address at a public forum on marijuana use among teens.

"You see this in adults who say, 'Oh I need a few drinks before I'm
going to dance.' The same thing happens with kids who use weed and
say, 'I can't relax in a movie for that long unless I'm stoned.' A
lot of it is psychological."

It is a myth that marijuana use is not potentially harmful, said Ms. Szirtes.

"We're seeing massive numbers of kids who can't use weed safely. And
so you get these frustrated parents who might be saying, 'Why can't
you just use on the weekend? Come on, we used to.'"

Marijuana can be "very addictive both psychologically and
physiologically," she said, adding that "it has a little bit gentler
withdrawal effects than other drugs."

The debate on decriminalization and legalization of marijuana has
been misinterpreted by many teenagers, who believe the drug is not
harmful, Ms. Szirtes said.

"I do know a lot of kids have taken that message and just only read
the piece that says it's probably not harmful. It's not harmful to
everyone, but in fact it's harmful to a lot of people."

When teens get into marijuana dependency cycles, it causes behaviour changes.

"You start wrecking relationships with family and with teachers, your
memory goes, you can't sleep properly unless you have a toke before
bed, and on it goes."

Because marijuana interferes with sleep, "kids are at school and
they're exhausted."

Marijuana cravings for teens often look like attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder symptoms, she said.

"There's a lot of confusion around that. Are kids not paying
attention because they are jonesing and can't wait for their next
hit, or are they not paying attention because they have ADHD?"

The forum, called Dazed and Confused, was held last night at Rideau
High School and was presented by the CAMC in collaboration with the
Champlain Addiction Co-ordinating Body and the Ottawa Integrated
Drugs & Addictions Strategy.

The signs of teens using marijuana frequently include changes in
friends, sleep disturbances, and mood swings, she said.

"While marijuana is not necessarily immediately detrimental to the
system, because of its long-term effects it is overall just as
harmful as any other hard drug."