FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, DON'T LET YOUR BRAIN GO TO POT

Every once in a while, it seems we are on a mission to scare
parents.

We truly are not, but this will be one of those occasions when it
seems that way.

Since the 1960s, the media has carried dire warnings about
recreational-drug use aimed at scaring young people into avoiding substances.

If you have ever been a teenager yourself - and most of us have -
scare tactics do not work.

If anything, they seem to give an illicit activity more mystique and
excitement.

Unfortunately, the history of lies and distortions about marijuana
aimed at curbing young people's use of pot has backfired; Canada is
said to be one of the highest per capita users of marijuana in the
world - and B.C. seems to be leading the pack.

Why is this concerning?

Studies from Australia, Europe and even this country have revealed a
new marijuana threat parents, teachers, clinicians and especially
youth need to be made aware of, as it is something that is not spoken
of enough: The marijuana in use today is not the same cannabis that
was smoked 30 to 40 years ago.

The active ingredient in marijuana that makes one high is
tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC.

Over the years, cannabis plants have been bred to increase the level
of THC to make them more potent.

In the old days, the lower levels of THC were balanced with a
naturally occurring substance in cannabis called cannabidiol, or CBD.

THC tends to cause hallucinations; CBD is an anti-hallucinogen and, in
the old days, smoking marijuana was less harmful as THC got the user
high while CBD mitigated the risk of psychotic symptoms and mental
illness.

Now, marijuana plants are being genetically engineered to produce
higher levels of THC and lower levels of CBD in order to make the
plant more potent and the high stronger.

That means modern-day marijuana contains a double threat for users,
especially teens with developing brains: Higher levels of THC which
can cause psychosis and lower levels of CBD which reduce the risk of
psychotic symptoms.

It would seem these fears are coming to fruition as more and more
teens are being treated for psychosis that appears to have been
brought on by marijuana use.

If a teen is predisposed to mental illness - and this is the age when
most symptoms emerge - then modern day marijuana is a stacked deck
that could lead to major mental illness in this age group.

The general attitude in the pot-using public is that "marijuana is a
natural plant that has been around for decades, and widely used for 5-
years . it has been proven time and again to be less harmful than
alcohol and is no big deal."

Let us repeat for emphasis: The marijuana being sold and used today
isnot a naturally occurring plant and has been genetically altered to
become something potentially quite dangerous.

It is not the same substance that became the symbol of 1960s social
rebellion.

Today's marijuana is a direct threat to your mental health, especially
if your brain is still under construction.

If you want to know more about this subject, watch David Suzuki's
investigative documentary, The Downside of High, which was on a recent
episode of CBC's The Nature of Things.

The entire unedited program is available online at
cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/2010/downsideofhigh/ and
chronicles the situation of three B.C. teens who believe their
psychosis is a direct result of their marijuana use.

Their doctors believe this, too.

We know from experience the best way to treat a mental illness is to
never develop one.

Thank you for reading Mental Health Matters. Contact us
at

kamloops@cmha.bc.ca if you have questions or something to tell us.