Many adolescents who smoke marijuana aren't trying to get high, but are instead using pot as a way to cope with their mental and physical health problems.
Many adolescents who smoke marijuana aren't trying to get high, but are instead using pot as a way to cope with their mental and physical health problems.
Furthermore, teens who smoke pot to relieve their depression, anxiety, grief or stress, or help them sleep better or concentrate, often say they do so because they had no other option.
There are indications that marijuana is used in adults to manage health problems, both physical and psychological as it relieves symptoms like pain, nausea, muscle spasm, insomnia, anorexia and anxiety. Marijuana use among adolescents is often for recreational purposes with social reasons like sensation seeking being the primary motive. However, its use for non-recreational (coping) motives is increasingly seen in adolescents due to the specific pharmacological effects of marijuana - creating relaxation and calming anxiety, reducing suffering, relieving boredom and making one feel better.
To describe the health concerns and problems that prompt some adolescents to use marijuana for therapeutic reasons, and their beliefs about the risks and benefits of the therapeutic use of marijuana, researchers in Canada interviewed 20 adolescents from Vancouver and two rural communities in British Columbia about their reasons for using marijuana in a therapeutic way. The province allows some medical marijuana use and the drug is also fairly readily available illegally.
It was found that six of the participants smoked pot to relieve depression, while 12 used the drug to ease stress and anxiety. Nine used marijuana to help them sleep better, three said pot helped them to concentrate, and five said they used the drug for pain relief. The numbers add up to more than 20 because several subjects used pot for more than one reason.
The participants often said legal drugs that they had been prescribed for these problems, including antidepressants, Ritalin, or sleeping pills, did not work, or had unpleasant side effects. When they sought help from medical professionals or other adults, their concerns were not taken seriously or the treatments they were offered did not help them.
The teenagers also recognised the ill effects of pot smoking, such as making it harder to learn and concentrate, and many believed that they were addicted to the drug or dependent on it.
Teenagers facing difficult physical or emotional problems often perceive marijuana to be the only available alternative when medical treatment fails or when they lack access to appropriate health care. The above findings show that young people need help from adults to find other ways to cope with difficulties in their lives. Options include counselling, stress management, social skills training, anger management, study skills, pain management, and sleep hygiene.
Furthermore, teens who smoke pot to relieve their depression, anxiety, grief or stress, or help them sleep better or concentrate, often say they do so because they had no other option.
There are indications that marijuana is used in adults to manage health problems, both physical and psychological as it relieves symptoms like pain, nausea, muscle spasm, insomnia, anorexia and anxiety. Marijuana use among adolescents is often for recreational purposes with social reasons like sensation seeking being the primary motive. However, its use for non-recreational (coping) motives is increasingly seen in adolescents due to the specific pharmacological effects of marijuana - creating relaxation and calming anxiety, reducing suffering, relieving boredom and making one feel better.
To describe the health concerns and problems that prompt some adolescents to use marijuana for therapeutic reasons, and their beliefs about the risks and benefits of the therapeutic use of marijuana, researchers in Canada interviewed 20 adolescents from Vancouver and two rural communities in British Columbia about their reasons for using marijuana in a therapeutic way. The province allows some medical marijuana use and the drug is also fairly readily available illegally.
It was found that six of the participants smoked pot to relieve depression, while 12 used the drug to ease stress and anxiety. Nine used marijuana to help them sleep better, three said pot helped them to concentrate, and five said they used the drug for pain relief. The numbers add up to more than 20 because several subjects used pot for more than one reason.
The participants often said legal drugs that they had been prescribed for these problems, including antidepressants, Ritalin, or sleeping pills, did not work, or had unpleasant side effects. When they sought help from medical professionals or other adults, their concerns were not taken seriously or the treatments they were offered did not help them.
The teenagers also recognised the ill effects of pot smoking, such as making it harder to learn and concentrate, and many believed that they were addicted to the drug or dependent on it.
Teenagers facing difficult physical or emotional problems often perceive marijuana to be the only available alternative when medical treatment fails or when they lack access to appropriate health care. The above findings show that young people need help from adults to find other ways to cope with difficulties in their lives. Options include counselling, stress management, social skills training, anger management, study skills, pain management, and sleep hygiene.
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