In case you hadn’t heard, election results are in! Educator staff were watching closely on November 8^th as several significant decisions were made regarding both recreational and medical marijuana legislation. Project ALERT director Eric Pedersen recaps the highlights below in this issue's Ballot Brief.

Last summer, Project ALERT staff had the fortunate opportunity to work with Stephen Miller, M.A., a graduate student in psychology at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA. Stephen has kindly contributed a summary from his chapter in the just-released book, The Handbook of Cannabis and Related Pathologies: Biology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Pharmacology (Elsevier Press). He provides Educator readers with some very practical advice about how parents can navigate the tricky task of talking to their adolescent kids about marijuana use in a neutral, nurturing, and positive tone while modeling important critical thinking skills. Please share these great insights with your friends and colleagues!

Finally, we’re excited to have received several entries for our first-ever video contest! Lindsey’s Choice from session 5 will be the first to have a fresh new look, modernized for our times. So get out that dusty A/V equipment (or an iPhone) and get those cameras rolling! Grand prize is $250 for your team! The deadline for submissions is approaching - don't miss out on this great opportunity to contribute to the future of Project ALERT! Full contest details can be found at www.projectalert.com/lindsey.

As always, thanks for your support of Project ALERT!

 

Voters in California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada passed historic marijuana ballot measures last November, bringing the total to eight states and Washington, DC that now have expanded laws allowing for legalized recreational marijuana possession among adults aged 21 and older. All eight states (not Washington, DC) have legalized production and for-profit sales. In addition, several states--Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota--passed legislation in favor of expanding medical marijuana, bringing the total number of states with comprehensive medical marijuana laws to 28, plus Washington, DC.

With the passing of Proposition 64, California became the most populated state to legalize the drug for nonmedical purposes. Though marijuana is still illegal at the federal level and it is still unclear how the new administration will respond to state recreational use laws, some believe that California will pave the road for other states.

Researchers are now beginning to use in-depth and well-designed studies to better understand how recreational marijuana laws affect teen use. In the meantime, parents and teachers can prepare to respond to teens’ questions about legalization by reviewing the available research, being familiar with state and federal laws, and having a few talking points ready when students say things in class such as, “It’s legal and natural so it’s safe” and “My parents use, so why can’t I?” We have several articles in this and prior newsletters that have addressed these topics and offer guidance on how to respond to students’ questions and concerns. In addition, there are excellent drug prevention programs (Project ALERT being one of them) that have the changing legislation and emerging drug trends front on their minds. A recent meta-analysis of 30 studies (including 5 Project ALERT studies) found small, but significant, positive effects of school-based prevention programs for middle school youth on preventing marijuana use. And programs taught by teachers (as Project ALERT typically is) were most effective.  Please keep up the good work!

 

The recent shift in societal norms surrounding marijuana use may be cause for alarm to some parents of adolescents.  Several states have legalized marijuana for medical use, and a few even for recreational use, putting the drug on par with substances like alcohol and tobacco. With even more states considering legalization for recreational use, it may be useful to take a moment and consider what this might mean for adolescent marijuana use. 

For starters, passing a law that legalizes marijuana may signal to youth that the substance is “safe” to experiment with.  It may also create an environment where it is easier for minors to obtain marijuana. What’s more, we still don’t have a good grasp on the long-term effects using marijuana has on the adolescent brain. Fortunately for parents, there are several steps they can take to lessen the likelihood that their children will use marijuana.

In a just-released book chapter¹ on how parents can influence their child’s marijuana use, researchers highlight four of the most effective strategies based on the most recent behavioral research.

1. Don’t use marijuana!  This may seem obvious, but the fact is that the mantra “Do as I say, not as I do” just doesn’t work with teenagers and young adults.  In fact, children have a much better sense of whether their parents use despite parents’ best efforts to conceal their use. Specifically, they infer that if their parents use, then the substance must be safe, fun, and they probably won’t get into much trouble if they are caught. In short, if you don’t want your children to use marijuana set a good example and refrain from using it yourself.

2. Adopt an authoritative parenting style.  Authoritative parents can set high standards for their children while simultaneously communicating their unconditional love for them. It could be justly summarized as the “firm but fair” approach to parenting. There are numerous resources that go into further detail,² but suffice it to say that by adopting an authoritative style parents communicate to their children that they want (and expect) the best for them, which goes hand in hand with wanting them to avoid using drugs.

3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.  If children do not hear about marijuana from you, they are going to hear it from someone else, most likely from their friends who often have less accurate information. Research shows that while many parents report talking to their children about marijuana use, few children remember the conversation. This is a sad fact considering another body of research that shows children whose parents talk to their children early and often about drug use are far less likely to experiment with drugs. Don’t be ashamed if you don’t know what to say- there are ample resources to help you start the conversation.^3,4

4. Monitor your children’s activities.  Knowing where your children are and who they are with can help you to prevent them from ending up in risky situations. A great deal of research has shown that children whose parents consistently monitor their activities are less likely to use controlled substances, including marijuana.⁵ Making schedules, contacting other parents, and utilizing mobile technology are just some of the ways you can ensure your children are spending their time in safe environments.

The most important takeaway for parents should be that yes, you can have an impact on whether your children choose to experiment with marijuana, even amidst this changing environment. However, you cannot have an impact unless you are proactive in your own behavior. By following these four steps, parents can do their part to raise happy, healthy, drug-free kids.  

Sources:

¹Miller, S. M., Siegel, J. T., & Crano, W. D. (2017). Parent’s influence on their children’s cannabis use. In Preedy, Victor R. (Ed), The handbook of cannabis and related pathologies: Biology, diagnosis, treatment and pharmacology. London: Elsevier.

² Dewar, G. (2013). The authoritative parenting style: Warmth, rationality, and high standards. Parenting Science. As of August 22, 2016, available at:
http://www.parentingscience.com/authoritative-parenting-style.html

³ Volkow, N. D. (2016). Marijuana: Facts parents need to know – A letter to parents. As of August 22, 2016, available at:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-facts-parents-need-to-know/letter-to-parents

⁴ Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. (2016). 8 ways to talk with your teen about drugs and alcohol. As of August 22, 2016, available at:
http://www.drugfree.org/resources/8-ways-to-talk-with-your-teen-about-drugs-and-alcohol/

⁵ Lac, A., & Crano, W. D. (2009). Monitoring matters: Meta-analytic review reveals the reliable linkage of parental monitoring with adolescent marijuana use. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4, 578–586.

 

Stephen Miller is a graduate student in psychology at Claremont Graduate University. During the summer of 2016, he served as a summer associate at the RAND Corporation.

 

The deadline is fast approaching for Project ALERT's first-ever video contest, as Lindsey, Diane, Mike, and Eric from Lesson 5’s Lindsey's Choice will be getting their long-awaited upgrade! Don't miss out on this great opportunity to contribute to the future of Project ALERT!

Submission forms, contest guidelines, and prize information can be found here.

 

According to newly released data from Monitoring the Future:

 

• Marijuana use in the past month among 8^th graders dropped significantly in 2016 to 5.4%, from 6.5% in 2015

• Daily marijuana use among 8^th graders dropped in 2016 to 0.7% from 1.1% in 2015
• The proportion of 8^th graders who binge drank in the past two weeks was 3%
• E-cigarette use also declined from 2015 rates among 8^th graders: 6% reported past month use in 2016 compared to 8% in 2015

Both annual and monthly prevalence of alcohol use for 8^th graders are at historic lows over the life of the study.

Among high school seniors, 22.5% report past month marijuana use and 6% report daily use; both of these measures remained relatively stable from 2015.

Read the full press release here.

 

See Monitoring the Future publications at http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs.html

 

 

 

 

 

NIDA. Teen substance use shows promising decline. Retrieved January 10, 2017, from https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2016/12/teen-substance-use-shows-promising-decline

 

Senior trainer Pam Luna, DrPH, MST presented an in-person training in Kern County, California on January 20, 2017.  Thirty participants from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools AmeriCorps program who work in several schools were in attendance for the all-day session. This special training included a first look at some proposed updates to Project ALERT to integrate instruction to address the growing concern about the opioid epidemic and risk to youth. 

If your school or organization is interested in securing Dr. Luna to conduct an in-person workshop on the Project ALERT curriculum, please contact her at drpam@earthlink.net.

Pictured: AmeriCorps mentees along with program coordinator Jeff Coomber and RAND-Project ALERT trainer Dr. Pam Luna. Photo/Kevin Keyes