We learn by mimesis: young people and consumption
Cannabis consumption in young people is associated with more risks for a number of important reasons. After alcohol and tobacco, cannabis is the drug most consumed by the country’s adolescent population; this fact may be a cause for concern, as it is well-known that consumption has potentially more risks and causes harm among younger people. Although lack of mentoring, prevention and educational models may increase the chances of consumption causing unwanted effects among young people, we shouldn’t forget that there are solutions and tools for reducing risks and empowering young people in their decision-making, starting with one’s own behaviour. Indeed, in this equation, it is paramount to remember that adults are role models for young people ─ mirrors in which they see themselves reflected and from which they learn.
Why is consumption different among young people?
As is the case with the consumption of any psychoactive substance, smoking joints disrupts the functioning of the nervous system, which has both physical and psychological consequences. Among them, of course, there are the desired effects. However, in some people ─ and most particularly in young people, who are still learning about their own bodies, how to adequately administer their pleasures, and who are in the process of building their ability for abstract and critical thinking – it may cause unpleasant sensations, distressing thoughts and, in some cases, may increase the risk of triggering anxiety-related disorders, despair, unpleasant moods or paranoid states, or worsen them if pre-existing. On the extreme edge of unwanted effects, in people with a pre-existing background of favourable factors for the development of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, cannabis consumption increases the risk of appearance of psychotic or schizophrenic spectrum symptoms.
Although the impact that cannabis consumption may have on the brain will depend on each person’s individual features, in young people these may become more frequent and more acute. In adolescents, the neural tissue involved in the performance of neurocognitive functions is not fully developed until 21 years of age. If cannabis is consumed before the “neural deployment” has been completed, it may interfere with optimal development of the brain. In addition, these neurological changes are often accompanied by a series of intense physical, social, affective and emotional changes, which makes adolescents more vulnerable to all sorts of external factors. Cannabis consumption is one of these. Therefore, adequate prevention and management must be available.
While adults usually consume cannabis at the end of the day’s work, or during weekends – to some extent, as if they wanted “to feel young again” – it is more likely that young people will consume cannabis during the day, as some say, to “do as the adults do”. However, as smoking joints can affect memory, attention and concentration, these consumption patterns may contribute to the appearance – or generation – of schooling and learning difficulties.
Other factors suggest that the later in life people start consuming, the better. A well-known fact is that young people usually do not start with the safer forms of consumption but instead often consume cannabis using the more harmful methods: mixing it with tobacco ─ which exposes them to toxic substances present in the smoke and facilitates nicotine dependence, mixing cannabis with strong alcohol, using bongs or water pipes, etc. Lastly, the legal environment surrounding cannabis does not provide the best settings for young people.
Self-empowerment and risk prevention
The best prevention starts with an open, interactive dialogue initiated without prejudices or judgemental attitudes. Each person and each context require a specific approach. Prevention and education are valid at all ages, but with contents adapted to the corresponding time in life. In this respect, good communication within the family is vitally important.
Ongoing educational and leisure activities are the second key for efficient prevention ─ which has been complicated to some extent by the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been even more important to pay attention to cross-cutting problems that may affect young people and their determinants: social or personal features, risk or protective factors, mental health problems, social or affective background, or presence of racism or stigmatisation.
Although the average age at which secondary school students start consuming cannabis has remained stable at about 15 over the last few decades, in recent years there has been a narrowing of the gender gap as regards prevalence of consumption. In spite of this, consumption between girls and boys continues to show differences in many respects: the significance given to consumption, planning, obtaining supplies, etc. Consequently, in order to achieve more meaningful and transformative messages, to include the gender perspective in educational outreaches is a must.
Just as it is necessary to take gender into account, it is also worth considering other determinants, personal or social features, and risk or protective factors. Like any substance, cannabis consumption is a complex biopsychosocial process, but it is also a cultural process. This means that each individual has a different understanding of the different consumption behaviours, states and trajectories. Consequently, it is essential to include an intersectional approach in educational support and mentoring.
Therefore, first of all, when dealing with young people who consume cannabis we must first listen to them and improve our understanding of where they are coming from – and even more so in the case of people with sociocultural codes different from ours (foreign minors, immigrant children, diversity of affective orientations, etc.). This will enable us to establish an honest, non-stigmatising dialogue – for example, within the family. Beyond the family, there is no shortage of solutions and tools for addressing cannabis consumption.
We should remember that we are role models for young people; whether we are family, friends, peers, someone that they are close to or someone they trust, we are always role models... Even if we don’t realise it!
We must all be aware of this and we should keep in mind the basic principles of prevention: weaken the risk factors and enhance the protective factors. Not necessarily to bombard young people with information about the risks of cannabis or to play the role of detectives, but to empower them to reduce their vulnerability when faced with risk situations in their lives. And to empower young people in their decision-making.
Let’s be role models. First of all, we must be role models in our own consumption as, to a great extent, young people learn from their role models by mimesis. And we must mentor young people in their growth and development as best as possible. We must guide them to learn and think critically, to connect with others, to not always want to imitate adults, and to resist peer and social pressures, to be aware of the risks of consuming and to learn to administer their pleasures.
And, if it is their decision to start consuming, which is not something we can control, we must help them manage consumption so that it has the least possible negative impact on their lives. How should we do this?
Show or reflect (the way)
At the centre of everything, there are people and the decisions they make. Before addressing young people’s decisions, it is a good idea to reflect on our own behaviour. From our status as role models, as adults, we must be aware that our decisions matter and we must act responsibly ─ for example, by resolving not to consume in the presence of young people or deciding not to consume in work situations or when we are fulfilling responsibilities, etc.
Beyond what we do, the key is to empower young people so that they can make responsible, adult decisions based on their critical capacity – and this is more difficult among adolescents, which is why socialisation, sharing, integration of values and habits, and belonging to a group are fundamental influences. Deciding to consume cannabis should be a well-thought, meditated, mature decision. But adolescents are people who are still in a formative process; they have yet to become what they will be. By definition, they are not adults, so they cannot be expected to always make adult decisions.
In this respect, the school, the family and the social environment are important as potential protective factors. The social environment – peer groups, family or adult role models – has a fundamental influence on adolescents, as a teenager is more likely to start consuming if he or she belongs to a group where most are already consuming. It may be that they do start consuming, in which case it is more important than ever to strengthen the young person’s personal capabilities and self-esteem so that they are equipped to make the best possible decision: to not consume or, if they do, to consume a controlled quantity, in an informed manner, and causing the least possible harm for their health.
When someone decides to consume, it should be because they have really decided to do so for themselves and not because someone has passed the habit on to them or because not consuming would not be “cool” in a certain setting, and even less because they want to be like role model relatives or adults. If young people are thinking about consuming, we want them to be able to use their grey matter to decide whether that’s what they really want; and, if they do consume, we also want them to use their grey matter to choose the time and place so that their consumption takes place within certain boundaries. To develop all this, adults must first be able to show the way and choose not to consume in the presence of young people and, if they do consume, be able to do this in an adult, contextualised manner that does not influence adolescents or encourage them to start consuming too early and possibly suffer harm.
