Cannabis Abuse in Teenagers: Impaired Growth and Development

This article discusses the issue of cannabis abuse in teenagers and its impact on growth and development. It explores the causes of substance abuse, including peer pressure and lack of parental supervision. The article also discusses the behavioral norms associated with drug addiction and the traditional theories of addiction. Finally, it provides information on treatment options for cannabis addiction.

Running head: MILESTONE ONE: SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Milestone One: Traditional Theories
Substance abuse
Darroniya Thomas
Contemps Issues In Addiction

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Cannabis abuse in teenagers and how it leads to impaired growth and development
Description of the issue
Substance abuse is the risky use of psychoactive drugs that change the normal function of
the brain according to Bivin & Riaz, (2017). Cannabis is one of the commonly abused substances
by the youth. The compelling reason for use of cannabis is due to recreational purposes because
young people believe that it acts as a mood enhancer. The use of cannabis leads to temporary or
permanent change in one’s behavior, perception, consciousness, and mood. The abuse of
cannabis drugs is a global challenge that many nations are suffering from around the world.
However, the population that experiences a high percentage of cannabis abuse in the world is the
youths. Consequently, the level of addiction to cannabis, also called marijuana among
adolescents is affecting the countries negatively. One of the reasons that make the issue a global
challenge is that teenagers are the people who contribute to a higher percentage of the country’s
economy. The first step in addressing this problem is identifying the causes of the issue among
the issues. The countries that are affected by this problem list the following as some the causes of
substance abuse among the teenagers:
i. Peer pressure- this is one of the primary reason of cannabis abuse among
teenagers. The children who join the adolescent group get influence from their
friends. For instance, a youth that identifies with marijuana addicts mainly end up to
start doing the same. The reason is that birds of the same feathers will always flock
together.
ii. Social media- almost every youth have access to a gadget that can access online
materials. Social media is full of every form of drug abuse and the methods of

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obtaining the drugs according to Das, Salam, Arshad, Finkelstein & Bhutta, (2016).
Therefore, it promotes a higher level of abuse among youths.
iii. Lack of supervision from the parents- the high cost of living in many countries
have made the parents concentrate on how to make ends meet in their families. The
parents are always busy looking at how to pay fees and meet other basic needs in the
family. They like time to concentrate on the youths. Therefore, teenagers take
advantage of this freedom to abuse drugs. The parents only realize at later stages that
their child is hooked on drugs.
iv. Accessibility to drugs is easy- the sellers and suppliers of these drugs are known,
people. They connect with some people in the authority department to run these
illegal businesses, thus making it easy for the youths to access the drugs.
Drug addiction among youths takes various forms. DiClemente, (2018) argue that one may be
addicted to smoking, inhalants, pills or liquid drugs. However, the effects of each of these forms
differ depending on the drugs.
Behavioral or process, addiction and social norms about substance abuse among the
youths.
Norms refer to what is acceptable to a given society. There are behaviors in drug
addiction among the youths that goes against the standard in the community and the medical
sector. When it comes to behavioral norms, some drugs are for specific diseases. However, the
youths go against the purpose of the drug to satisfy their own needs. For instance in medicine, a
small portion of alcohol is to ease digestion. However, youth takes excess alcohol to change their
moods and forget their problems. Such behavior is against the norms of society. Besides that,
there is an aspect of the social norm. The drug addict does not observe time and the place where

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they take the drugs. For instance, a teenager who is addicted to cannabis may decide to smoke it
publicly without considering the presence of other people. Such behavior is against social norm
that expects everybody to behave in an organized manner. Apart from that, the behavior and
addiction norm is also evident in the way the addicted teenagers dress. These people tend to be
shaggy and disorganized. Some of them have a terrible smell from their bodies that make it
difficult for them to socialize with other people.
On the other hand, it is important to note that the social norms of a given society
influence the behaviors of adolescents. Studying the social norms of a given group of people
assist in finding ways to advise youths on health matters. For example, every community
identifies with certain cultural activities that may promote drug abuse. The ideal step is to study
the belief and give proper advice about substance abuse on youths.
Impact of cannabis abuse on teenagers concerning traditional models and theories of
addiction.
Multiple factors promote the development of addiction in adolescents. From traditional
models and theories, environmental influences and biological factors are the leading causes of
drug addiction according to Heather, Best, Kawalek, Field, Lewis, Rotgers, and Heim, (2018).
In biological factors, the youths inherit the addiction behaviors through the genes. In this case, a
child is born; there are already existing addiction behaviors in his or her life. However, when it
comes to environmental influences, these are what the children experience during their childhood
period. For example the cultural activities in the societies and the interpersonal relationships that
the child develops as he or she grows.
From the traditional model and theories on addiction, there are evident impacts of cannabis
substance abuse on the adolescent. However, these effects differ based on the drug the youth is

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abusing and the level of abuse. The following are some of the impacts of cannabis abuse
according to Winters, Botzet, Stinchfield, Gonzales-Castaneda, Finch, Piehler & Hemze, (2018):
i. Behavioral challenges- adolescents who tend to misuse drugs show various social
problems. Some of these behavior challenges include having suicidal thought,
depression, and violence. Many fights that people experience in the society are
because of argument among the addicted youths.
ii. Damage of the brain- multiple mental disorders come because of drug abuse.
Some of these disorders are permanent. The illnesses include impaired reasoning,
amnesia, and brain shrinkage.
iii. Several cases of sex assault- from the research the youths who are addicted to
drugs have high sexual desire than those who take the drugs. However, such
behaviors are risky because they lead to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted
infections, and early pregnancies.
iv. Learning challenges- Cannabis addicts always have a short-term memory.
During learning, they experience constant frustrations that eventually make them drop
out of school.
v. criminal activities- the drug addict opt to take the drugs every day, however, these
teenagers lack constant flow of income to purchase the drugs. They engage in
criminal activities to get whatever they want according to Krasikova, Lester &
Harms, (2015). Consequently, such behaviors risk their life as police officers end up
shooting some of them during the operations.
Treatment Options for Cannabis Addiction

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Cannabis remains one of the commonly abused drugs and has significant adverse impact
to the health of the abuser and the society at large. Due to peer and social pressure, it may be
hardly possible for one to overcome addiction. One of the major reasons that make it impossible
for one to overcome addiction is that the abusers hardly admit that they are addicted. This is
similar to people around them as they see no problem with the addict, in spite of the fact that
there are observable physical characteristics that show that the individual is addicted (Zehra,
Burns, Liu, Manza, Wiers, Volkow, & Wang, 2018). Researchers, psychologists, and scientists
have shown that effective treatment of the brain or behavioral treatment of the addicted
individual has significant improvement and may help one overcome this issue. The treatment of
this issue takes both the neuroscience perspective and the harm reduction approaches. The
following section discusses each of these perspectives and concludes by offering
recommendations.
The Neuroscience of Cannabis Addiction and Treatment Approaches
The neuroscience of cannabis addiction focuses on the nature of the brain and how the
exposure to this substance creates neural alterations that lead to cannabis use disorders (CUDs).
According to Konopka (2014), the human body contains natural immune molecules that
resemble cannabis called endocannabinoids. These molecules are produced naturally by the
human brain and have potential to interact with the cannabinoids in cannabis once one has been
exposed to the substance. The cannabinoid receptors in the peripheral cells of the spinal cord,
nervous system, and the central nervous system interact with cannabis molecules to play a
significant role in pain regulation, mood regulations, reduced eye movement, and even sleep.
Once a person has been exposed to cannabis substance, the interaction of the molecules from the
substance with the endocannabinoid receptors produces changes in behavior. Since different

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people have different amounts of endocabinnoid receptors and may be exposed to different
amounts of cannabis substance, the effect of change in behaviors varies from one person to
another.
Additionally, Szottk (2014) explains that there are variations in receptor distribution
among people. For young people, neuroadaptations that arising from the changes in brain
contribute to behavior that adversely affects brain development as explained in Lorenzetti,
Cousijn, Solowij, Garavan, Suo, C., Yücel, and Verdejo-García (2016). Neurobiologists explain
that cannabis use disorders (CUDs) arise when the body has developed dependence on the
substance to the extent that the affected individual starts increasing the volume slowly until it
reaches a point of addiction. Additionally, the use of cannabis substance for recreational
purposes as well as medicinal purposes has had a significant impact on addiction levels among
the youth. The understanding of neuroscience of cannabis addiction has a significant impact on
treatment and prevention of addiction among the youth.
The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as the disease of the
brain. Treatment of addiction, therefore, focuses on addressing the neuroplasticity changes that
occur in brain. The major adverse impact that leads to addiction is that the brain develops a
system of reward imaging where one cannot function independent of the drug. The treatment
process, therefore, focuses on cognitive changes and behavioral modifications that alter the brain
to slowly adapt to changes and eventually overcome addiction.
Neuroplastic treatment methods involve cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral
modifications that target alteration in thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The primary limitation of
these changes is that they may require time for changes to be effected, considering that it takes
time for the brain to restructure and overcome addictions. Apart from neuroplastic approaches,

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contemplative interventions have also been considered effective in treating and managing
cannabis addiction (Szottk, 2014). One of the recommended contemplative interventions is the
meditation approach that seeks to restructure thinking with the aim of improving behavioral
outcomes in addicts.
Harm-reduction Approaches in Neuroscience of Addiction
The neuroscience of cannabis addiction views addiction as product of social and
environmental factors. In addressing the problem of cannabis addiction, the major starting point
is to focus on social factors that contribute to addiction. Harm-reduction strategies have been
considered efficient in addressing the problem of addiction. Szottk (2014) defines harm-reducion
interventions as sympathetic methods of helping people addicted to drugs while at the same time
respecting their rights and voices in creating a drug-free society.
The efficacy of harm-reduction strategy in the neuroscience of addiction starts with the
rehabilitation of addicts and recognizing their contribution to society and their value. Some of
the major principles of harm-reduction practice is that it acknowledges that the society has
played a role in facilitating addiction. For this reason, the restructuring of the mind of the
cannabis addict starts by accepting that there is a social responsibility for everyone to play in
eradicating the harm that emanates from opioid abuse. Hawk, Vaca, and D'Onofrio (2015)
explain that harm-reduction strategies do not endorse cannabis abuse. They instead seek to create
public awareness of the adverse impact of drugs to individuals and community at large by
accepting the reality of the impact and channeling efforts and resources towards eradicating the
harm. This could be incorporated in neuroscience of addiction where people that have overcome
addiction are given forums to talk to those struggling with addictions and developing when they

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are undergoing the contemplative and cognitive behavioral therapies to enhance restructuring of
the brain in a friendly and caring environment.
Utility of Traditional and Current Treatment Options for Cannabis Addiction
Traditional Approaches
Traditional approaches are mainly utilized from the rehabilitation centers. A
rehabilitation center is a place where the patient is taken to stay away from the drug while
undergoing therapy with the goal of improving outcomes from addictions (Addiction Center,
2019). According to Das, Salam, Arshad, Finkelstein, and Bhutt (2016), there are two options for
traditional treatment and management of addiction. The first approach is the in-patient rehab
where the addict is placed in a facility for thirty to ninety days while undergoing treatment.
These approaches have proved efficient in the recent past. During rehabilitation, the person may
be forcefully placed in a rehabilitation center or volunteer if the person is determined to
overcome addiction. Volunteers are likely to benefit significantly from the rehabilitation program
compared to those that are rehabilitated forcefully for their engagement in criminal activities.
Outpatient rehabilitation options are also available in Australian cities and towns.
According to Chie, Tam, Bonn, Dang, and Khairuddin (2016), outpatient treatment programs for
addiction apply only where the family and community liaise to work together to help the patient.
Young people under the government’s rehabilitation programs cannot fit into this option as they
require constant monitoring from law enforcement agencies. Rehabilitation of cannabis addicts
has shown to improve for people that are placed under in-patient rehabilitation programs, but
higher cases of relapse have been reported for those on out-patient programs (Rowan et al.,
2014). Rehabilitation centers incorporate other traditional interventions such as therapy and
behavioral change with the goal of attracting positive outcomes from the addiction (Chie et al.,

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2016). When these approaches are utilized accordingly, rehabilitation centers tend to improve
behavioral outcomes by providing person-centered approach compared to general approach.
Current Treatment Approaches for Cannabis Addiction
Scientific approaches have played a significant role in shaping the development in
treatment of addictions. According to Sherman and McRae-Clark (2016), psychotherapeutic
addiction treatments have been used since 1990s. The primary psychotherapeutic intervention
techniques include cognitive behavioral therapies, motivational enhancement therapy, and
contingency management. Each of these approaches has proved efficient and management of
addictions among diverse populations. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions help
patients identify behaviors linked to access to cannabis or behaviors that are likely to trigger
relapse and help them develop strategies to overcome those behaviors (Addiction Center, 2019).
CBT mainly entails talk therapy and can be administered in a rehabilitation center or in a hospital
environment. The strategy is also promising in an environment where the addict has physical
access to a psychologist. In this era of technology, different organizations offer online CBT
programs over the internet.
Motivational enhancement therapy is specifically suitable for people that have already
realized that they need to stop substance abuse. According to Sherman and McRae-Clark (2016),
motivational enhancement therapy seeks to help addicted individuals by helping them to set
goals. For instance, if a cannabis addict says that “I need to stop smoking before falling into
trouble again,” motivational enhancement therapist will help the person by helping the person to
set and develop goals to overcome the behavior and avoid falling into trouble again. Brief
motivational interventions are also applicable for people struggling with addictions. The primary

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theme of motivational enhancement is to reinforce desire to change. This implies that it cannot
be forcefully administered until the person is determined to overcome substance abuse.
Recommendations
The analysis of the treatment options above indicate that cannabis addictions can be
treated and provide successful positive outcomes. I would recommend a combination of the
current treatment methods using psychotherapeutic interventions. For people admitted in
rehabilitation centers, cognitive behavioral therapies could also be used to help them overcome
addictions. Nevertheless, a focus on positive outcomes entails behavioral change by focusing on
positive behavioral outcomes. Encouraging young people to join support groups has also proved
promising in the recent past. Since the analysis has proved that peer pressure has a significant
impact on relapse, young people undergoing treatment in the healthcare facility or in a
community setting could be encouraged to join groups that are undergoing similar treatment
options to help them overcome addiction.
It is inevitable that the prevalence of cannabis addiction is likely to increase in future and
this could put pressure on the available rehabilitation resources and psychologists that offer CBT
interventions. This creates a need for research in developing programs that will blend the
available treatment options while at the same time helping the current populations. Additionally,
the fact that psychotherapeutic interventions are mainly effective where there is a determination
to overcome addiction makes it not effective for people in critical need for treatment. This
creates a need for scientific interventions that require medications. There have been, however,
concerns about the side effects associated with medications. As a result, it could be advisable for
researchers to encourage and enhance use of non-pharmacological interventions such as CBT

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and motivational enhancement therapy. Usage of pharmacological interventions could be limited
or blended with non-pharmacological interventions for efficient positive outcomes.
In conclusion, cannabis addiction is a health issue that requires urgent interventions.
While it is true that young people are at risk of suffering relapse after addiction treatments, there
is an option for follow-up to enhance recovery. It is also advisable to encourage people
undergoing treatment to join community programs that help addicts with the goal of
acknowledging that they have value for community development. Due to predictability of
inevitable surge on addiction, there is a need to blend the available options and take advantage of
the community welfare programs to help young people overcome relapse and exposure to agents
of cannabis addiction.

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