Ralph Cantor rjcantor@aol.com 510-653-9410 Marijuana Berkeley City Council June 4, 2013
What this talk is about! 1) Why is the use of marijuana and alcohol with teens amongst the highest here??? Availability Perceived harm low An environment of mixed messages Polarization and biased views prevents learning The part I play is as a teacher 2. Teen vs Adult brain and drug usage
Talk (continued) 3.) Dopamine A powerful internal force 4.) Marijuana Tetrahydrocannibinol Potency 1965 to 2013 How does marijuana affect the brain and learning 5.) The research says the message is WAIT 6.) Panel. Frank Lucido, MD Susan Craig, PhD
Berkeley USD Use, Perception and Availability In Last 30 Days 7th 9th 11 th Used Alcohol 9% 27% (33% ca) 45% Used Marijuana 5% 21% (21% ca) 37% Easy or fairly easy to obtain alcohol Easy or fairly easy to obtain marijuana NT 64% 37% 63% 77% Perceived Harm Medium 33% 73% 84% Perceived Harm Low
Adolescent Brain Adult Brain
PreFrontal Cortex Parents, therapists and our task: Sometimes need to act as though they are their teenagers frontal cortex... talking through possibilities and options. They have to function like a surrogate set of frontal lobes, an auxiliary problem solver.
Adolescent Brain
Adult Brain
Pruning & Mylenation USE IT OR LOSE IT Reading, sports, music, video games, hanging out whatever a child/teen is doing these are the neural synapses that will be retained and those not worked get pruned away Those neural synapses that are consistently used get hardwired in through mylenation
SYNAPTIC SPACE
SYNAPTIC SPACE Some input comes to a brain cell
SYNAPTIC SPACE Brain cell makes a neurotransmitter (the brain is practically a chemical factory)
SYNAPTIC SPACE When the neurotransmitter hits the receptor on the next cell We get it. We may feel or think something.
SYNAPTIC SPACE If input has interest, dopamine is fired off. High Interest Input Dopamine This is the mind - body connection.
SYNAPTIC SPACE A psychoactive drug can trick the brain into firing off dopamine. THC, Alcohol, Etc. This makes the drug take on importance.
Drive, motivation, the what s important filter
Developmental tasks Boredom/ Developing Interests Good times Stress Social Skills Answer the question Who am I and what is important to me
Get a Life! Where s your juice? What gets your interest? Where s your energy? Where do you feel your spirit? Mechanics, the Arts, People, Science What moves you?
Dopamine vs. Serotonin Dopamine produces a feeling of pleasure Serotonin produces a feeling of well being Difference between pleasure and happiness (short lived vs big picture) Developing skills, interest, relationships, meaning ( getting a life ) Resiliency
Increased THC Potency Hippies 60 s Vietnam 1-3% Cannabis Sativa 5-10% Cannabis Indica Growing females 10-15% Sensimilla Horticulture of Northern California Indoor growing today 15 20%
The Brain and Cannabinoid Sites Nucleus Accumbens Hippocampus Cerebellum Or how we trick the brain
Hippocampus, say what? Retrieves relevant information Stores new info it deems relevant
Hippocampus Thinking Hippocampus Unconscious Memory
Hippocampus New concept 50% Hippocampus Trash 50% Memory ½,.5 It pulls up relevant information we know, and puts relevant new information into memory. Marijuana interrupts that process.
Cerebellum Controls internal and external coordination
Risk of addiction How well does the drug work Positive and Negative Reinforcement If, in addition to producing pleasure (positive reinforcement), a drug is more addicting, if it relieves negative states: boredom, anxiety, depression or stress (negative reinforcement).
Percentage of U.S. Adults Aged 18 and Older Dependent on Alcohol, By Age of Drinking Onset Dependent in Lifetime 100% 80% 60% 40% 47% 45% 38% 32% 28% 20% 15% 17% 11% 9% 0% 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Age Began Drinking
Be Like Glinda
Bibliography / References NIDA MARIJUANA RESEARCH SMART APPROACHES TO MARIJUANA DR. TIM CERMAK MARIJUANA, WHAT S A PARENT TO BELIEVE HAZEDLEN PRESS PARTNERSHIP FOR DRUG FREE AMERICA
Contact Information Ralph Cantor (510) 653-9410 rjcantor@aol.com