This op-ed piece appeared in the Ventura County Star on December 16, 2017
By Stan Mantooth, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools and Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County Public Health Officer
On January 1st, 2018, cannabis (commonly referred to as marijuana), a substance that affects youth differently than adults, will become legal for retail sale in California. Although the federal government still classifies cannabis as illegal, California voters have elected to legalize it for adults age 21 and over. We write not to debate legalization, nor to comment on cannabis use by adults, but to inform you about the way cannabis affects the minds of young people. The science is simple: cannabis use during adolescence can negatively impact the still-developing teenage brain. It can also lead to addiction.
Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that using cannabis during the adolescent years can negatively - and sometimes permanently - affect the developing adolescent brain. While our state laws are changing, school policies remain the same: all public schools (including charter schools) that receive federal funding cannot permit the possession or use of cannabis in any form on school property by students, staff, or visitors. This policy remains in alignment with those that already address the use of alcohol, tobacco, and vaping devices. While these products are also legal for adults 21 and over, they are never allowed on any school campus. As you may know, if a student is found on school property with any of these items, he or she will be offered resources to give them an opportunity to discontinue their substance use, but in many cases, the student could also face suspension or expulsion. This same applies to all forms of cannabis, such as common dried marijuana leaves as well as more contemporary products such as highly-concentrated cannabis oils and edible products.
If you are not yet aware of how, why, or to what extent these forms of cannabis adversely affect teenagers, please consider reviewing the health and awareness-focused resources at: How High Ventura County (howhighventuracounty.org), MJ Fact Check (mjfactcheck.org) or the National Institute on Drug Abuse (drugabuse.gov). Also, there are many positive benefits to maintaining a proactive dialogue with your teen about the potential health harms of cannabis. Children whose parents disapprove of cannabis use are less likely to use cannabis. Additionally, in a survey of current use of cannabis by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, youth who perceived strong parental disapproval of cannabis, in turn used cannabis strikingly less often than those who did not perceive strong parental disapproval (4.8 percent use rate versus 31.3 percent).
Locally, cannabis is the number one reason youth enter drug treatment programs in Ventura County. According to local drug treatment admission data, 88 percent of participating youth cited cannabis as their drug of choice. If you are concerned about someone’s cannabis use, you can contact your school counselor for resources, or find treatment providers by contacting 2-1-1 Ventura County (dial 2-1-1 or 800-339-9597, or visit www.211ventura.org).
As adults and members of our respective communities, we must remember that part of our responsibility to our youth is the positive role modeling of the behaviors we expect of them. Just as with adult-use of tobacco and alcohol, excessive or harmful use of cannabis, including decisions around driving under the influence, will be observed by young people and perceived as “acceptable behaviors.” As a community, we must prioritize the health and safety of our young people and clearly communicate the risks that come from cannabis use – again, just as we do with our messaging about tobacco and alcohol.
We seek your support and assistance in helping to protect the wellbeing of our youth as we navigate into a new time and face ever-evolving challenges within our community.