Page 7 - SilverLinings Issue 5

A growing
concern over
the use of
cannabis by adolescents
An interview with Frank Bartolomeo, PhD, Silver Hill Hospital’s Senior Clinical Advisor for Adolescent Services
Possession and recreational use of cannabis is now legal for those 21 and over in New York, New Jersey and every state in New England, except New Hampshire. Billboards on seemingly every mile
of highway in Massachusetts trumpet the nearest dispensary where only a valid ID from any state is required for entry. Retail sales are expected to begin in Connecticut by the end of 2022.
Access to marijuana is easier and more visible
than ever. This, despite growing evidence that cannabis – particularly today’s cannabis options with exceptionally high THC levels – can contribute to the emergence of serious mental illnesses, such
as schizophrenia, as written in the 2020 report “Cannabis Use and the Risk for Psychosis and Affective Disorders,” by Sideli, Quigley, La Cascia and Murray.
How is this cultural shift impacting today’s youth?
Silver Linings sat down with Frank Bartolomeo, PhD, Silver Hill Hospital’s Senior Clinical Advisor for Adolescent Services, to discuss the ease of access to cannabis and the methods he uses to talk to young people about marijuana use.
Why is it important to talk to adolescents about cannabis?
The adolescent brain is still under construction. It’s important what you are putting into your brain. Good things will have beneficial effects; bad things will have negative effects. Young people are at increased risk for addiction because the brain is still being shaped.
There is a paradox with the brain systems during adolescence. The reward system is pressing on the gas, so many adolescents lean toward taking greater risks, which is necessary to become more independent. At the same time, there is the regulatory brain system
in which an adolescent is acquiring the capacity for self-control. Then there is the relationship system
and the profound need for belonging, there are social ramifications for kids if they don’t engage in social activities that involve substance misuse. It’s a dilemma.
These brain systems are not yet fully integrated so, for example, research suggests that adolescents can assess risk about as well as adults, that’s their regulatory system.
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SILVER LININGS MAGAZINE | ISSUE FIVE | 2022