Pubdate: Sat, 18 Aug 2012
Source: Peterborough This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing
Contact: http://www.mykawartha.com/generalform
Website: http://www.mykawartha.com/community/peterborough
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1794
Author: Sarah Frank

HEY KIDS, IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT MARIJUANA

Peterborough's drug task force hosting series of Pot Talks discussions
with local youth

(PETERBOROUGH) The local drug task force hopes to bring area youth to
the table to talk pot this fall. During a series of planned
discussions, dubbed "Pot Talks," Peterborough youth are invited to
share their thoughts on policy surrounding the drug and it's use, as
well as learn about potential health impacts.

The move to engage youth in the debate is one of the many potential
actions outlined in the Peterborough Drug Strategy, which was released
earlier this year after two years of research.

When surveying area youth, the group was particularly interested in
talking about marijuana, says Kerri Kightley, co-ordinator of the drug
strategy.

The strategy states 29 per cent of local high-school-aged youth say
they've used the drug, beating out the provincial average.

With 1.5 million Canadians using the drug recreationally, marijuana is
the top drug of abuse in the country, according to the Canadian
Medical Association.

"The sense we got is, many youth are saying it's harmless, so why is
it illegal?" she says, noting due to a lack of concrete research on
the long-term effects of using marijuana, and conflicting reports
online, many youth turn to their peers for information.

The youth discussions, set to begin this October, will feature input
from the Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Amy
Porath-Waller, senior research and policy advisor with the Canadian
Centre on Substance Abuse. Ms Porath-Waller, who is scheduled to speak
in Peterborough Oct. 25, will discuss a series of recent research,
titled Clearing the Smoke on Cannabis. The series covers medical
marijuana use, implications for police and practice, chronic use and
cognitive functioning, use during pregnancy, marijuana use and
driving, and respiratory effects.

The research suggests smoking marijuana can cause considerable harm to
lungs and airways, and since cannabis smoke contains many carcinogens
found in tobacco smoke, there's a need for further research on the
topic.

The impact on health, according to the Canadian Centre for Addictions
and Mental Health (CAMH), depends on how much and how often marijuana
is used.

According to research by CAMH, no one has ever died from a marijuana
overdose.

However, using the drug can impair depth perception and slow reaction,
which can affect a person's ability to drive safely. Research also
shows the large doses of potent marijuana, especially when swallowed,
can cause "toxic psychosis", including hallucinations, delusions,
confusion and amnesia.

While research doesn't suggest that chemicals or substances in
marijuana are addictive, regular marijuana users often find they need
more and more of the drug to get high.

According to Leslie L. Iverson, a pharmacology professor at the
University of Cambridge and author of The Science of Marijuana, 10 to
30 percent of regular users will become dependent on the drug, and
nine per cent develop a serious addiction.

Ms Kightley says the talks will give youth the chance to explore
research and openly discuss their beliefs and ideals regarding
marijuana use. It's also a different approach to tackling drugs locally.

"We know that "saying no to drugs" doesn't work," she says, noting
it's a stance that's failed over the years, with the number of open
marijuana users as the proof. "I think we need to be willing to have
an open conversation."

The talks will also centre around the implications of legalizing the
drug.

After the series of discussions, Ms Kightley hopes to put together a
youth speaking panel, to talk to other youth about their experience
with the drug, and potential changes to drug policy in the future.

- -------------------------------

[sidebar]

Cannabis is a controlled substance under the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act. Growing, possessing and distributing the drug is illegal.

Is marijuana addictive?

Paul Lavergne, a local counselor The Turning Point in Peterborough,
has worked several patients whose marijuana use has disrupted their
daily life.

"I've seen people who've had their children taken away because of it,"
he says, noting patients are often ambivalent about their drug use.
"There's often a lot of denial about it."

Is it addictive? Mr. Lavergne would argue it is, although many of his
patients who are using the drug regularly tell him they're not addicted.

"People say they're just not ready to quit," he says. "If you're not
addicted, quit using for 30 days and let me know how it goes."

With any addiction, including smoking marijuana, gambling or looking
at pornography, Mr. Lavergne says people are looking to alter their
mood.

"A more important question for these people is why do you want to
alter your mood all the time?" he says. "Why do you want to change
your reality?"
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt