The Effects of Cannabis on Teens and Adolescents

There are plenty of amazing things that can be done with cannabis, but just because it helps so many people, doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with risks.

Just like anything, but especially recreational drugs, how it affects one person can be completely different than how it affects someone else. The truth is that even though it is considered to be one of the most harmless drugs around, plenty of people dread the effects of cannabis, and stay away from it for that reason.

Personal preference aside, cannabis, or at least the THC in it, can have extremely negative effects on young, developing brains. For that reason, it is never recommended for those under the age of 25.

In 2009, the California Society of Addiction Medicine released a detailed 34-page study that evaluates and reports on the Impact of Marijuana on Children and Adolescents. In it, they came to the following conclusion:

“Research into how marijuana produces its effects led scientists to discover that the brain has a huge, delicately balanced cannabinoid system of its own. Oily resin found in the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant contains several chemicals called “cannabinoids” (e.g.,’THC, or delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol). THC closely resembles the natural chemistry in our brain, effectively mimicking some of the brain’s neurotransmitters.

Smoking marijuana produces its characteristic “high” by flooding our brain with molecules that cannot be distinguished from its own internally produced neurochemistry, throwing the brain far from its natural chemical balance.”

Scientific research shows that a person’s brain continues to develop into their early 20s, and as a result, exposure to cannabis before the age of 25 results has more negative effects on adolescents compared to the relatively harmless effect it has on adults with fully developed brains.

For example, MRIs have documented structural damage in youth that is attributed to regular THC intake including lower brain volumes, cortex thinning and damaged neural connectivity.

All of this is compounded by the fact that cannabis on average is three or four times more potent than it was in the 80s, making the risk of negative effects that much more intense.

The truth is that it simply isn’t worth the risk, and while the industry can abide by the legislation of their province, it’s up to any adult with access to cannabis to ensure they keep it far away from the impressionable and delicate minds of those who are simply not in a position to benefit from its effects.

A Brief History of Cannabis

Cannabis has certainly gained popularity over the past few years, but the fact is cannabis has been a popular go-to for humans for a very long time. Thanks to its textile and medicinal applications, it has been a source of rope, clothing, sails, pain relief and food dating back more than ten thousand years.

Believed to have originated in Asia, historians have also found proof of its popularity in the Middle East, Egypt and Europe dating back four or five thousand years.

It wasn’t until the last few centuries that cannabis finally migrated to South America in the 19th century, reaching North America through Mexico soon afterwards.

Cannabis cultivation in America dates back to the early colonists, who grew hemp for textiles and rope. The fact that it was a fast-growing plant that was relatively easy to cultivate made it a great fit for a variety of uses, and by the late 1800s, cannabis extracts were being sold across the United States as a treatment for stomach problems and a variety of other ailments.

Cannabis wasn’t used recreationally until the early 1900s; introduced by Mexicans that immigrated during the Mexican Revolution. A few decades later, devastating unemployment and disturbing social unrest going into the 1930s led to increased resentment and fear towards the dangers of ‘marijuana’.

As a result, during a time when prohibition was already a popular trend, 29 states outlawed the cannabis plant by 1931.

A few decades later, due to the “War on Drugs” as well as a variety of political and racial factors, President Richard Nixon introduced the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, classing all forms of cannabis (marijuana) as a Schedule I drug, along with heroin, ecstasy and LSD.

For the next 30-plus years, cannabis sales was reserved to the black market and those who purchased it were treated (and often convicted) as criminals, druggies and generally not “good” people.

However, the benefits that come from cannabis were not forgotten and many legitimate medical and scientific professionals continued to study and publish the truth about the positive effects both THC and CBD can have on a wide variety of negative mental, physical and emotional symptoms suffered by millions of people around the world.

In the 21st century, North America, and a lot of countries around the world, are starting to view cannabis differently.

Instead of viewing it as a plant to be feared or to stifle, it is being viewed as the best-fit answer to a number of unanswered needs across medical, recreational and textile industries alike.

Why Should Anyone Turn Away from the Black Market to Buy “Legal” Cannabis?

As I stand in my buddy Steve’s garage smoking a well-deserved joint at the end of a long day, talk turns to the fact that even though he’s smoked for decades, and has good friends in the legal cannabis industry, he has yet to set foot inside a single legal cannabis store.

When I asked him why not, his response was simple: “Why should I change anything about where I get my weed?”

It’s a great question; one that pretty much every person that consumed cannabis for years, if not decades, before it became legal, has to ask themselves.

The fact is that for most people who already have a reliable plug, there isn’t much to attract them away from the black or grey markets they currently utilize.

Inconsistent quality, lack of supply, ridiculous packaging, inconvenient hours of operation and high prices are all reasons to avoid the legal pot shops in the first year of legalization, and if you don’t have a reliable hook-up already, what’s offered online or in the many grey-market dispensaries all over Canada is way more attractive than anything you can buy legally.

And since legalization, there appears to be much more attention paid to restrict the actions of those who went through the legal licensing process to open up shop than has ever been applied to shutting down those who opened up without bothering with legalities.

So what exactly gives the legal market an advantage over the existing black and grey markets?

In my opinion, and the opinions of just about everyone I know that smoked before legalization, the answer is: currently, nothing.

Those who truly love the plant and are willing to invest hundreds if not thousands of dollars as regular customers will need to be wooed over to the legal side, not by appealing to their sense of morality or lawfulness, but rather, by providing what the black market can’t: safety, consistency and focused, high-quality cannabis experiences — at a price that considers existing appetites for cost.

True, even the most loyal black-market buyer thinks it’s nice to walk down the street to buy a pre-roll when they are out on the town and on empty. But that won’t be enough to accomplish the type of legal market promised to us by the Canadian Government in 2016.

The legal market needs to consider/adjust four things as it attempts to remove the current stigma attached to buying cannabis at a retail outlet:

1. Price: People are willing to pay a bit more for convenience, consistency and quality, but only if all three are way above average. Right now, the prices are higher than the black market, and the quality, weight and consistency are all (often) below average.

2. Products: Adults are ready to be trusted with cannabis the same way they are trusted with alcohol; let them decide how they want to consume it. Edibles, pure-CBD, extracts and other alternatives all need to be made legal so that anyone that wants to consume, can do so responsibly, however they choose. As well, those products that are currently being produced in multi-million dollar facilities, need to separate themselves from the basement-grown black market.

3. Packaging: The existing laws surrounding cannabis packaging do very little to help drive safety and responsibility, as they claim, and do a ton to frustrate buyers, dilute the culture and hurt the environment.

4. Policy: The delays in license approvals have led to products remaining in vaults for too long, which leads to a lack of products in the stores when they are needed, and dried out, poor quality, short weight products being sold, with no clear path or policy to complain and receive compensation for poor-quality products. The stores blame the LPs, the LPs blame the system, and the system seems to care very little about the common customer.

If the true purpose of legalizing cannabis in Canada is to provide a valuable product to those who can truly benefit from its use, then the industry needs to rectify its shortcomings to-date, and clearly communicate the “why” behind its justification for replacing the black market.

Cannabis Types (Sativa, Hybrid, Indica)

When it comes to understanding the different types of cannabis, understanding the difference between Sativa and Indica strains is a good place to start.

• Origins: while both types of plants are now available worldwide, Indica is said to have originated in the Middle East while Sativas were originally grown close to the equator.

• Plant Size and Shape: Indicas have broad leaves and grow around 3-4 feet high, while Sativas have slender leaves growing as high as 20 feet. As a result, the amount of buds yielded by each type is between 1 – 3 ounces per Indica plant and from 3 ounces to a pound per Sativa plant.

• Time to Harvest: Cannabis plants take time to flower and produce their buds. The time for each type of plant is different with Indicas requiring only 8-12 weeks whereas Sativas can take between 10-16 weeks.

• Flavour: The flavours of cannabis are practically endless, but as a rule, Indicas produce sweet, fruity flavours, while Sativas are traditionally earthy, woody in nature.

Hybrids are a combination of both Sativa and Indica-dominant strains and can be found in a countless variety of ratios.

Generally speaking, Sativas produce an intense, uplifting, active high, while Indicas produce a more lazy, stoned effect.

Need an easy way to remember? In-di-ca will often put its user in-da-couch.

Indicas are great if you are looking for physical or mental relaxation making this suitable for nighttime use while relaxing in front of the tv or just hanging out stress free.

But beware, if you want to avoid the ‘munchies’ associated with cannabis use, then Indicas probably aren’t for you. They typically increase the user’s appetite, which is great for those seeking that effect, but not so great for those of us trying to avoid eating an entire package of Oreos.

On the other hand, sativa strains can increase the users focus and creativity, getting them off the couch and engaged in activity. Ideal for responsible daytime use, Sativas are also a go-to for people dealing with anxiety, depression or chronic pain thanks to its ability to increase the amount of serotonin in the brain.

These are just a few of the differences between the two types of cannabis you will come across. Trying both, along with due diligent research, should help you find the ideal cannabis product fit for your unique needs.

Is Cannabis Dangerous?

With Canada’s legalization of cannabis, all kinds of people have been exposed to new stores, messaging and an apparent increase in use as what used to be taboo is now very much in the mainstream.

For years, Canadians have been able to access cannabis for their medical needs, but were unable to purchase recreationally. Legalization has rekindled conversations about its fit in our society, primarily within the context of safety and lifestyle fit. Two very common conversations revolve around cannabis versus alcohol usage and cannabis versus prescription medications safety.

With an ever-growing amount of education surrounding the long-term effects of cannabis products, the facts remain consistently in favour of cannabis being a lot less deadly than commonly accepted alternatives.

In 2015, there were 5,082 alcohol-attributable deaths in Canada, according to a study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation cited by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI),and in a 2017 report released by CIHI, alcohol poisoning, alcohol withdrawal, liver disease, chronic alcohol abuse and other conditions that are “100 per cent caused by the harmful consumption of alcohol” accounted for about 77,000 hospital admissions.

The Public Health Agency of Canada recognizes alcohol as the leading cause of injury and death in Canada, including those resulting from impaired driving and from alcohol-linked illnesses.

Prescription painkillers are also reported to kill tens of thousands of people yearly, and are responsible for contributing to a growing, national opioid epidemic.

A 2017 Globe and Mail article states:

Despite a national epidemic of opioid abuse and overdoses, prescriptions for painkillers – as well as therapies for treating dependency – have increased, new figures show.

Retail pharmacies across Canada dispensed 19 million prescriptions for opioids in 2016, up slightly from 18.9 million in 2015, according to estimates by health-data company QuintilesIMS. Prescriptions climbed six per cent over the past five years.

Overprescribing is behind the epidemic, which has worsened in recent years with the arrival of illicit fentanyl, leading to a sharp spike in overdose deaths. Canada ranks as the world’s second-biggest consumer of pharmaceutical opioids.

By comparison, deaths caused by cannabis alone, are hard to find.

Can You Overdose on Cannabis?

To overdose on THC requires consumption that’s next to impossible to achieve. Judge Francis Young once concluded, “A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of cannabis within minutes to induce a lethal response.”

However, that isn’t to say that cannabis is 100% free of risks. The truth is that while cannabis is far less lethal than alcohol and opioids, it is a product that alters the mind and should always be consumed responsibly, in amounts and potencies that are sufficient to your needs.

Cannabis Stigmas

Cannabis legalization in Canada started October 17th, 2018, and as far as Alberta is concerned, the roll-out has been anything but smooth. Confusion over the laws, delays in approval processes and a general lack of sufficient supply has led to frustrations.

As with anything new, there exists an inevitable period of discomfort and adjustment, when outdated mentalities, opinions and stigmas are broken down and re-evaluated to make way for the future’s new views, ideas and opportunities.

Cannabis legalization promised to take a plant that the majority of the world sees for its beneficial attributes, drag it out of the back alleys and black market and into the light, and realize opportunities that only exist in the world’s legal markets. The misguided, fear-based stigmas that began in the early 20th century as a means of controlling industry and ensuring profits stayed in the hands of established big-business were finally going to be replaced with accurate, fact-based education surrounding a plant that can do more beneficial things for more people in-need than most individuals understand.

Those of us who were already sold on the benefits of cannabis looked forward to the chance to finally share it with the masses, fearlessly, within the context of a legal industry bursting with opportunity. Unfortunately, even though the message of the merits of legal cannabis appeared to be generally accepted by the public, a new stigma began to emerge; one that suggested legal cannabis couldn’t compete with the black market’s product quality, availability and price.

A significant disconnect between the supply and demand for the product had Alberta’s retail locations and the public they served, frustrated by limited availability, stale products and underweight offerings that nobody appeared to be willing to take responsibility for. As well, confusion surrounding why some forms of cannabis are legal while others aren’t ,has those who don’t want to smoke dried cannabis still anxiously awaiting for the edibles and extracts they prefer to be legalized as well. Unsatisfied customers complained to store owners, who turned to the LPs and AGLC for answers; but answers were few and far between. Six months into legalization, the industry’s ability to provide for the growing demand for cannabis within Alberta is improving slowly, but we believe there is room within our industry and our province to drastically improve the image of legal cannabis.

Our brand seeks out opportunities to improve upon that which has come before us and continue to carry the torch of cannabis education as the industry continues to evolve to reach and appeal to countless new generations and communities of people.

Starting now, we will guide those interested in learning the truth behind legal cannabis’ ability to provide:

• Significant health benefits • Business and investment opportunities • Alternative consumption options • Unmatched quality and consistency • Evolved growth and production technology • Engaged community of like-minded enthusiasts

We are Stigma Grow – and we are influencing the perception of cannabis one incredible offering at a time.

Cannabis: CBD Versus THC

With the relatively recent legalization of cannabis in Canada, many people who previously had no interest in exploring what was classified as an illegal drug, are now open to becoming educated on the reality behind its many offerings and advantages.

At Canadabis, our goal is to ensure Albertans are equipped with a proper education surrounding the products we grow and the opportunities, dangers and differences that exist between, and within, each of them.

The biggest difference we would like to present here is that between the two natural compounds found in the plant: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD).

The main difference between these two chemical elements is fairly straightforward: THC is psychoactive, while CBD is not.

Most people describe cannabis as a drug used by people to illicit psychoactive effects, but it also features other chemicals that provide different, often opposite, effects. While both CBD and THC can be found in cannabis, each unique strain rearranges their atoms in a variety of complex ways to produce widely different effects. The result is countless applications and combinations interacting with our endocannabinoid system differently, producing a wide-range of beneficial offerings that can address any number of real-world needs.

CBD versus THC

CBD The scientific benefits of CBD are still being explored today, but what we do know is that CBD, just like THC, causes a broad range of effects in our bodies by interacting with our CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors found in the endocannabinoid system.

CB1 receptors are located in the brain, and affect mood, pain sensors, appetite, memory, ET

CB2 receptors affect the immune system and respond to cannabis’ anti-inflammatory effects.

THC

THC penetrates the brain, stimulating cells to release ‘dopamine’. The initial results of this release are typically reduced stress and an increase in happiness, relaxation and pain relief.

THC can also affect a person’s memory and ability to accurately perceive time, and in extreme cases can lead to hallucinations and delusional thinking. How THC affects your body and mind will be different for everybody, and usually takes between 10-20 minutes to reach its full effect (edibles can take longer).

Hopefully this gives you a basic understanding of the differences between CBD and THC. We recommend extensive research as a way to determine whether cannabis is the right product for your needs.