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Home » National Prevention Week - Prevention of Youth Marijuana Use (Thursday, May 18)

National Prevention Week - Prevention of Youth Marijuana Use (Thursday, May 18)

Understanding the changing landscape of high potency marijuana products is becoming increasingly importing for youth marijuana prevention strategies. This includes the increasing psychoactive THC potency in marijuana due to horticultural techniques, the rapid development of synthetic cannabinoids, and increase in the production and consumption of marijuana concentrates with extremely high levels of THC. Consuming high potency concentrates through the process called “dabbing,” i.e. inhaling high potency marijuana concentrates, increases the risk of psychosis from consuming such a high level of THC in a short time, and could exacerbate youth cognitive problems, underachievement in school, and risk for dependence. The April 2017 Emerging Drug Trends Report from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation provides an overview of this concerning new trend.

Marijuana Prevention Toolkits are available at: http://www.theathenaforum.org/parenttoolkit.

May 14-20 is National Prevention Week.  Prevention of Youth Marijuana Use is the theme for Thursday, May 18. To learn more, visit www.samhsa.gov/prevention-week.