[Mohammaad]

Even though cannabis is now legal, there are still health, social, and legal problems for young people. Health issues include problems with brain development, memory, focus, and decision-making. Social problems can be skipping school, family fights, or losing friends. Legally, young people can still get in trouble if they use cannabis underage or break the law in public. To help youth make good choices, we should talk to them openly and give them the right information. We can raise awareness through school programs, group talks, or workshops. Education should be honest and respectful, not scary. We can also support youth in thinking critically by teaching them how to check if the information they see (especially online or on social media) is true. They should learn to ask questions and use trusted sources.

[Kathe]

Springboard Services is offering free training to build critical literacy about youth cannabis use!

Weed Out the Risk (WOTR) is an evidence-based program designed for youth that explores the risks of driving impaired or under the influence of cannabis. Grounded in harm reduction, WOTR includes a variety of interactive components to engage participants and increase learning. Since 2014, the program has been delivered in over 350 high school classrooms across Canada.

Learn More:

• Weed Out the Risk Introduction Video
• Weed Out the Risk Short

With funding from Health Canada and the Ministry of Education, Springboard is now able to offer complimentary training and resources to social service workers and groups. This professional development training takes one hour and can be done either in-person or over Zoom. Once trained, learners will have full access to WOTR as well as a library of youth-centered educational workshops.

Training can be facilitated for your team or you can be trained to become a Weed Out the Risk facilitator.

For more information, contact Gia Lynde, Community Partnerships Coordinator for Springboard’s HUB Team: GLynde@springboardservices.ca.

Remember that you can register any time for Cannabis and Youth, YouthREX’s free online certificate, and if you want to engage the young people with whom you work in learning more about cannabis, check out YouthREX’s What’s With Weed resource.

[Kathe]

YouthREX is excited and honoured to co-sponsor and be a part of the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association C3 (Clean, Confident, Cool): Empowering Indigenous Youth Conference!

This conference will educate and empower Indigenous youth about the effects of cannabis and vaping, and provide workshops on confidence building, mental health, team building, and developing coping mechanisms. 🌿🧠🤝💗

Look for YouthREX team members at the conference, being held in Sault Ste. Marie from November 18th to 20th, and check out our workshop (featuring Youth Outreach Workers from the region!) on supporting youth to make informed decisions about cannabis use — a skill useful for caregivers, youth workers, and peer advocates.

We’ll be highlighting our What’s with Weed resources and giving away some cool swag items, too! 😎

[Kathe]

Did you know that YouthREX offers *two* FREE online certificates that can build your cannabis literacy? 💻📚

Cannabis and Youth: A Certificate for Youth Workers is self-guided with open enrollment, which means that you can register and begin learning any time! This certificate provides evidence-based information on the health, social, and legal risks associated with cannabis use, and connects you with resources that you can apply directly to your practice.

We also partnered with Cannabis & Psychosis to develop Cannabis and Mental Health, a comprehensive suite of online resources exploring a range of issues surrounding the mental health impacts of cannabis. This 90-minute course was created by youth, for youth, and includes a Mentor Guide for youth workers, program leaders, educators, mentors, parents, and youth allies! 🤝

Start learning today! You will also find diverse resource collections developed for youth workers and young people on our Knowledge Hub. 🤓

[Katarina]

If you’re looking for resources on cannabis to share with young folks in your life, check out the redesigned What’s With Weed webpage! YouthREX collaborated with a variety of partners — including young people! — to redesign a youth-friendly one-stop-shop on everything they might ask about cannabis and cannabis use.

Take a look through the five most common questions young people have about cannabis, and learn about the legalization movement and how you can use cannabis more safely. These resources are also available in French!

[James]

The redesigned webpage looks amazing! Such a useful resource 👌

[Shadeen]

I agree with your statement one hundred percent. This guide can be beneficial for youth workers and caregivers.

[Katarina]

I think this guide might be helpful for youth workers and caregivers. It addresses common claims about cannabis (“It is commonly claimed…”) and provides a summary of the current scientific evidence (“But research suggests…”). It’s an accessible resource that takes a harm reduction approach.