[Kathe]

We wanted to share details about an upcoming online event — Innovations in Harm Reduction for Youth Cannabis Use — being hosted by Daniel Bear (Humber College), Rebecca Haines-Saah (University of Calgary), and Emily Jenkins (University of British Columbia).

This event will take place on Monday, October 17th from 9AM to 11AM PST (12PM to 2PM EST), showcasing Canadian cannabis research and education projects designed for and with youth, and creating space for discussing new developments in harm reduction, youth-led approaches, and how to be inclusive of the diverse needs of youth who use cannabis. The event will bring together youth experts, advocates, community organizations, and researchers across the country, featuring a panel discussion and a Q&A session with a Youth Expert panel. Come and hear about what’s new and next in youth cannabis use harm reduction!

For more information, contact: Ana.Figueras@ucalgary.ca

REGISTER HERE

[Katarina]

This YouthREX factsheet identifies six signs of risky or harmful cannabis use. I’m curious to hear if others have found these helpful in their work. How else can we support youth in evaluating their use?

[Sophia]

I agree with the six signs of risky or harmful cannabis use. The students that I work with are in grade 7 and 8. They are using cannabis and I find they don’t often understand the psychological effects that smoking has on the brain and changes in mood. I believe supporting youth in evaluating their use is important by getting youth to understand their stress levels and how stress affects their mood and behaviour by observing and tracking how they respond when on and off cannabis.

[Katarina]

Yes!! Encouraging young people to evaluate their use is so important, and I think this is where harm reduction approaches are really helpful. If we think of cannabis use as a continuum or matrix, we can recognize that not all use is harmful, but that certain types of use are associated with greater risks. We need to provide young people with the information and the tools that allow them to weigh the risks and benefits of their use. On that note, I think this workbook is a wonderful resource for helping youth (and adults) understand their relationship with substances.

[Jae Woong]

Hello, Katarina

I have checked the factsheet you have shared in your post.

I found it is very very helpful to how to engage with youth who are using cannabis. I agree that fearing the youth to use cannabis and making abstinence-based drugs are not helpful for the treatment.

However, I started to wonder how should I tell the youth if they want to know what could be the possible outcomes if they overuse the cannabis.

I remember when I was in my second year, I was writing a paper about cannabis usage. I could not find many negative outcomes by using cannabis except that may harm one’s memory and brain, but the research could not find the direct evidence for it.

Thus, I remember that some youth argue that there are no negative outcomes for using cannabis. I am sure there will be more researches looking for the potential outcomes for cannabis, but I could not find them yet.

It is very interesting that cannabis is less addictive than any other substance and people often think cannabis is safer use. However, overuse of cannabis can harm one’s health even though detailed research has not proven cannabis’s negative outcomes yet.

I think there should be more harm reduction approach for cannabis use. It is important to provide a healthy alternative for youth to prevent addiction.

Thank you,