Teen Cannabis Use a Discussion Doctors Need to Have
Canadian Paediatric Society Presents Guidelines for Normalizing Discussions with Teens – LPC
The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) provided guidelines for doctors talking about teen cannabis use with their patients. The recommended approach normalizes the discussion so that teenagers are not afraid to talk about issues associated with cannabis use.
Dr. Christina Grant, co-chair of the CPS cannabis project advisory group, said many young people may have symptoms they don’t even realize are related to cannabis use. These include loss of concentration, difficulty sleeping, and mood changes. Clinicians, on the other hand, may not feel comfortable starting these conversations themselves.
“We really want to help practitioners have an approach that is very respectful for the individual teenager in front of you in your office,” Dr. Grant said.
Dr. Karen Leslie, lead for the substance abuse program at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, said teen cannabis use should be discussed at every visit.
“A lot of it is looking at risk factors for a young person,” Dr. Leslie said. “I think it’s a balance of giving them information [and] making sure they have the information they need.”
The recommendations refer mostly to recreational cannabis use. Medical cannabis is a whole other topic. Doctors can be reluctant to prescribe cannabis to their adult patients. They tend to be extra cautious with younger patients since long-term effects of on developing youth aren’t known.
The CPS report recommends talking with youth starting at age 12. It also suggests talking about teen cannabis use alone with the teenager in case they are too afraid to talk about it in front of their parents.
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