Cannabis and Canada's Children and Youth

Question 1

What is marijuana use in teens strongly linked to?

Answer 1

Cannabis dependence
Other substance disorders
Initiation/maintenance of smoking
Increased presence of mental illness (depression/anxiety)
Impaired neurodevelopment
Cognitive decline
Diminished school performance and lifetime achievement

Question 2

Who is at increased risk of using cannabis?

Answer 2

2/3 Indigenous youth

Increased frequency in high school

Question 3

What are change on MRI seen in teens who smoke cannabis?

Answer 3

Lower brain volumes
Different folding patterns
Cortex thinning
Less neural connectivity- lower white matter integrity
Functional MRI- increased neural activity
*brain works harder to complete tasks

Question 4

What areas of the brain are impaired?

Answer 4

Short term memory
Performance of complex mental tasks, attention, judgment
Reaction times and motor skills

Question 5

How does cannabis use impair driving?

Answer 5

2015 study- 10% of teens drove when high
DOUBLE RISK for MVA
More common than alcohol impaired driving

Question 6

What is the concern about edibles?

Answer 6

Don’t feel high immediately thus may take more

Inadvertent toxicity because of delayed absorption

Question 7

What is the DSM V criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD)

Answer 7

Problematic pattern of cannabis use leading to clinically significant impairment in areas of function or distress within a 12 month period

Question 8

What are functional impairments seen with CUD?

Answer 8

Reduced school performance
Truancy 
Reduced participation and interest in extracurricular activities 
Withdrawal from usual peer groups
Family conflict

Question 9

What are the DSM V criteria for Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome (CWS)

Answer 9

2/5 psychological symptoms
- Anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbance, depressed mood, appetite changes
1/6 physical symptoms
abdominal pain, shaking, fever, chills, headache, diaphoresis

Question 10

When do withdrawal symptoms occur? How long do they last?

Answer 10

24-72 hours after last use
Persist for 1-2 weeks
Sleep disturbance for up to 1 month

Question 11

How does cannabis use relate to mental health?

Answer 11

• Strong association between daily use and depression; more likely to have a major depressive episode
• Linked to anxiety; SAD and PTSD are RF for problematic cannabis use
• Psychotic disorders- hypothesis that cannabis use plays a causal role in the development of psychosis in some individuals

Question 12

How does cannabis use impact lifetime achievement?

Answer 12

Higher unemployment levels
Criminal activity
Greater social assistance requirements
Lower levels of life satisfaction