BUSSW’s Rick Cresta Presents Chronic Marijuana Use in Teens Workshop in Southeastern MA

On February 22, BUSSW’s Rick Cresta led Chronic Marijuana Use in Teens, a workshop for over 70 social workers and mental health professionals working with teenagers, in Southeastern Massachusetts. Chronic Marijuana Use in Teens was sponsored by Old Colony YMCA, a longtime partner of BUSSW and a field placement site for BUSSW students. BUSSW Professional Education Programs and the Off-Campus Program also co-sponsored the event.

The workshop aimed to explore the effects of marijuana use on adolescents as well as to learn about productive ways to open the conversation with teens. Throughout the workshop, Cresta identified the relationship between brain development and marijuana usage, explored myths about its effects, and discussed the potential risks of chronic marijuana use in adolescents.

As a result of its recent legalization, much of the conversation has shifted towards the potential benefits of smoking marijuana. However, in spite of the positive effects, the developing brain can be permanently damaged by its use. Because adolescents’ brains are more malleable than those of adults, Cresta noted, they are more vulnerable to harm from substances that would otherwise not affect adults. While teenagers might argue that marijuana can help with focus in school or for inspiring creativity, Cresta argued that adolescents run the danger of becoming dependent on the drug to achieve such benefits.

Stressing the importance of discussing marijuana use with teens in a way that will not make them feel targeted, Cresta suggests approaching the subject by allowing them to explain their rationalization for themselves. For example, instead of explicitly stating the negative consequences of smoking, Cresta suggested practitioners ask teens whether they personally have noticed any negative effects as a result of their usage and moving the conversation forward from there. By allowing teenagers to define and explain their usage on their own terms, the hope is that they will grow more willing to talk about the subject honestly. Offering harm reduction tips, replacement activities, and honest information about withdrawal, Cresta explained, will be more effective in treatment planning than simply warning teens about negative effects.

As legislation regarding marijuana continues to evolve, many find it difficult to open up effective and unbiased conversations about its impact. With Chronic Marijuana Use in Teens, Rick Cresta provided practitioners a practical guide for breaching a complicated subject.