teenagers and pot

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I had a worrying interaction a couple of weeks ago, which fits in with a disturbing trend I've noticed with teenagers.

A 16yr old boy was in trouble because of marijuana, and I got chatting with him about it. He genuinely believe it's harmless, but it got worse. He has a cousin and uncle who have battled cancer, and lost. He then said pot helps fight cancer, and he then told me that marijuana is actually good for you.

For all those pro pot people out here, surely you are aware of the dangers of pot and young minds - there is plenty of research to prove that. But what worries me is the growing number of teenagers who feel it is harmless for them. I have also had a couple of other kids say it is actually good for you as well, although this was the first time someone had linked it to fighting cancer.

I often ask the seniors about pot and other drugs, including alcohol, and quite a lot see pot as a healthy alternative to drinking.

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The Pot... it is bad. Any one who has seen Reefer Madness knows this.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Medical marajuana is accepted for cancer treatment induced nausea and anorexia. It helps lessen the adverse effects and symptoms but does not treat the cancer. Perhaps this is the misunderstanding of the student assuming symptom treatment = disease treatment

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There is promising evidence that cannabis could have medicinal value, but reliable, rigorous studies are lacking due to cannabis being listed as a Schedule 1 narcotic (of no medicinal value). Of course, I'm speaking for how it is in the US.

You will see a plethora of anecdote out there all over the internet, and in general, I find the general public ill equipped to determine the reliability of evidence.

My personal opinion is that just about anything can help or harm. A nice hot toddy when you have a cold can feel medicinal- it relaxes the body and soothes the throat and can help open up and drain the sinuses. However, alcohol can also be toxic when ingested in large quantities.

I think cannabis can help some people with some symptoms, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's "good for you", and I would never postulate that it actually cures cancer. There is no evidence for that.

Whether recreational use is benign or harmful is, I think, largely a matter of opinion. Just as with alcohol, some people can enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner, while some people have problem drinking behaviors that put them at risk for lots of problems.

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Specializes in School Nursing, Hospice,Med-Surg.

I was taught in nursing school (many moons ago) that smoking pot was actually more dangerous than cigarette smoking as far as lung cancer risk.

Marijuana use and risk of lung cancer: a 40-year cohort study - Springer

I think we can be sure that it does cause damage to a young person's lungs:

Marijuana and Lung Health | American Lung Association

And we can be pretty sure it's not a cancer preventative nor something to be compared to taking a daily multivitamin or a jog around the block.

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

There are some preliminary studies that get thrown around as real data. This is from Cannabis and Cannabinoids - National Cancer Institute

the issue is data reliability and public understanding. The public has no sense of good data bad data and it really makes them susceptible to being misled.

Have any preclinical (laboratory or animal) studies been conducted using Cannabis or cannabinoids?Preclinical studies of cannabinoids have investigated the following activities:

Antitumor activity

  • Studies in mice and rats have shown that cannabinoids may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells.
  • A study in mice showed that cannabinoids may protect against inflammation of the colon and may have potential in reducing the risk of colon cancer, and possibly in its treatment.
  • A laboratory study of delta-9-THC in hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) cells showed that it damaged or killed the cancer cells. The same study of delta-9-THC in mouse models of liver cancer showed that it had antitumor effects. Delta-9-THC has been shown to cause these effects by acting on molecules that may also be found in non-small cell lung cancer cells and breast cancer cells.
  • A laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells showed that it caused cancer cell death while having little effect on normal breast cells. Studies in mouse models of metastaticbreast cancer showed that cannabinoids may lessen the growth, number, and spread of tumors.
  • A laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in human glioma cells showed that when given along with chemotherapy, CBD may make chemotherapy more effective and increase cancer cell death without harming normal cells. Studies in mouse models of cancer showed that CBD together with delta-9-THC may make chemotherapy such as temozolomide more effective.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I'm going to sound like a COB, and will gladly accept the title.

I believe what you saw is a real, albeit unintended, consequence of the movement to decriminalize/legalize recreational pot use.

Let's face it, few adults bother these days to research and form learned opinions on controversial topics, let alone teenagers. They cling to the 30 second sound bites they hear in the popular media telling them things they want to hear, like pot is harmless, a stance often repeated by those in the legalization camp.

I'm going to show my age, but this reminds me of the trend back in the 1990's when kids espoused the belief that oral sex was not sex, because that was what the President said.

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Interesting but fortunately not too.many teenagers get cancer. But sadly they do get hurt by pot in a variety of ways.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Marijuana can certainly be harmful for adolescents which is actually one of the arguments for legalization. Marijuana is a widely available product whether it's sold by drug dealers or licensed retailers and drug dealers don't restrict their customers by age, licensed retailers do. In Colorado for instance, marijuana use among teenagers actually dropped after legalization.

While it's certainly a stretch for a teenager to try and justify their marijuana use by arguing it might have some potential to treat cancer, there actually is evidence to suggest it may be able to limit the spread of cancer.

Cannabidiol as potential anticancer drug. - PubMed - NCBI

Antitumor effects of cannabidiol, a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid, on human glioma cell lines. - PubMed - NCBI

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

So, now maybe it is time to stop talking in fear and fairy tales when we speak about cannabis in this country.

For more than a generation the federal and state government has promoted a lie about marijuana. Consider the number of people who hold completely ridiculous views and opinions of the substance almost exclusively because of the wide spread propaganda which was propagated in an attempt to protect the industries which had a vested interest in maintaining a severe restriction. (hint alcohol and paper come quickly to mind)

There are currently some very interesting and promising studies examining the endocannabinoid system and potential neuroprotective effects of cannabis. We already know that it is a pretty good antiemetic.

Certainly teens and children should not be engaging in use of marijuana or alcohol, no one argues that they should. That doesn't mean that we should tell them scary lies about what it is or what it will do to them. Like alcohol, marijuana is something that is not for children but might be okay for some adults who can behave responsibly. Kids will be mostly cool with that. Some teems will challenge that. I feel it is better for them to challenge the marijuana than the alcohol restrictions...it is safer in the long run...as long as we change it's ridiculous classification at the federal level.

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Meh. Pot can be anything and the dumb kids will buy it. The kids in my HS actually say they get "better pot than those other crappier" school districts.

Sorry, kids, it's the same dealers, and the same pot, which may or may not be laced with God knows what.

Agree 100% teens should NOT be smoking pot, nor drinking. But they will.

Legalize it, regulate it, know what is IN it. Export it as a cash crop. Sell it like alcohol.

Pass the Doritos.

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Meh. Pot can be anything and the dumb kids will buy it. The kids in my HS actually say they get "better pot than those other crappier" school districts.

Sorry, kids, it's the same dealers, and the same pot, which may or may not be laced with God knows what.

Agree 100% teens should NOT be smoking pot, nor drinking. But they will.

Legalize it, regulate it, know what is IN it. Export it as a cash crop. Sell it like alcohol.

Pass the Doritos.

You've got Doritos? I'm on my way, bringing the Oreos.

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