Hello Champions!
Information and data are critical to understanding how our youth perceive and use marijuana. High school students today have grown up in a legal and commercialized environment. With Colorado being one of the first states to legalize adult-use marijuana, results from the Healthy Kids Colorado Surveys (HKCS) shed some light on the status of use by our kids. This information is critical for adults that care about kids, to positively influence the youth in their lives.
Why it matters:
Important information from CDPHE includes Public Health Statements for adults and youth alike.
- Weekly or more frequent marijuana use by adolescents and young adults is associated with impaired learning, memory, math, and reading achievement.
- Marijuana use by adolescents and young adults is strongly associated with developing psychotic symptoms in adulthood, such as hallucinations, paranoia, and delusional beliefs.
- Starting marijuana use during adolescence or young adulthood is strongly associated with future marijuana addiction.
- Marijuana use by adolescents and young adults is associated with an increased likelihood of developing suicidal thoughts or attempting suicide, compared to those who do not use.
What you need to know:
The 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey will be conducted again this fall, with results distributed next summer. We must always have a way to gauge what our youth are thinking and doing. If we just assume, we lose our ability to guide them.
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Important points from the last HKCS include:
- There is a misperception by kids that most of their peers use marijuana.
Educating that the actual peer use rate is lower than perceived is a protective factor for an adolescent to not use marijuana.
- Early experimentation and initiation are growing concerns.
The earlier youth use begins, the more likely the negative outcomes. Students of all ages need access to accurate information on the adverse consequences of using marijuana so they can make informed decisions.
- Use of high-potency concentrate products is increasing.
Dabbing or vaping concentrates can have a potency exceeding 90% THC. The higher the THC concentration, the more likely the adolescent will develop a marijuana use disorder, Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), or THC-induced psychosis.
- Kids are getting marijuana from adults and dispensaries.
The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division Performance Audit was released Monday, August 8, 2023. Some key findings between 2019 and 2022 include:
- 36% of newly-licensed retail marijuana stores were not inspected.
- 182 of the 567 licensed retail marijuana stores (32%) that appeared on at least one monthly targeted inspection report were not inspected.
- 75 stores did not undergo an underage compliance check after appearing on a report that identified them as a priority due to risk.
- No disciplinary action was taken against the store for 23 of 44 violations of marijuana laws and rules that affected public safety.
In 2021 there was a statistically significant increase from 2017 in the number of high school students purchasing marijuana from licensed stores. Compliance checks by the state must increase to ensure dispensaries are not allowing underage purchases. Statewide education for adults and the marijuana industry, on the adverse effects of marijuana use for kids, must be improved and promoted.
What you can do:
Support collection of youth use data including the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey and similar surveys in your state or community. It is imperative to keep collecting and refining that data so that it can be used to protect our youth from the unintended consequences of adolescent marijuana use.
Continue to educate our communities and talk to the kids in your life!
PARENTS’ OPINION COUNTS: Youth who know their parents think underage use is wrong are 72% LESS likely to use.
A new school year is rolling in quickly.
- Ask your school if they are equipped with current information on high-potency THC products, methods of intake, possible adverse consequences, and warning signs.
- Check out THC Photos.org for updates on today’s available products in states where THC is commercially available.
- Encourage your child’s school to become a Marijuana Free Zone.
- Reach out to our Community Liaison Julie Dreifaldt for school resources.
Please visit our website for more information and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. It is more important than ever to inform others about the dangers of THC products so that we can continue to protect kids.
Thank you for your care and support in better protecting our kids.
The One Chance Team
Additional Resources:
Monitoring Health Concerns Related to Marijuana in Colorado: 2022 Summary
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