by: Debbie Wicker

Because Colorado legalized marijuana everyone is getting on the band wagon that pot isn’t that bad for you… everyone is wrong!

Here are some recent headlines from research studies done in just the last few months:

Marijuana Users Have Abnormal Brain Structure and Poor Memory

Drug abuse appears to foster brain changes that resemble schizophrenia

– See more at: http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2013/12/marijuana-users-have-abnormal-brain-structure–poor-memory.html#sthash.NOcJAdKD.dpuf

From NAMI:

Using marijuana can directly worsen symptoms of anxiety, depression or schizophrenia through its actions on the brain. People who smoke marijuana are also less likely to actively participate in their treatment—missing more appointments and having more difficulty with medication-adherence—than people who abstain from using this drug.
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The issue is that your son doesn’t believe pot is bad for him because that’s what everyone is pushing on TV and through our culture.

You need to get your son into treatment as quickly as you can. If he is willing, then call your doctor and ask for a referral to a local treatment center to help him to stop using.

If he is not willing then you need to do an intervention and make him understand how harmful the drug is for him. Include his friends and family members so that everyone can describe the effect marijuana is having on him and his life. Also, give him examples of harm that you have seen that you believe to be caused by his marijuana use.

Finally, begin to attend Al-anon meetings yourself so that you can learn about addiction and go through the 12-steps. Because each of us is unique and our brains are unique, drug abuse effects each of us uniquely. That’s why there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for drug abuse for your son.

Hopefully as you begin to attend Al-anon meetings your son will be willing to attend some open AA meetings with you. Getting him to attend multiple 12-step meetings per week should be your goal. The 12-step process with allow him to understand why he is using and to address issues that will help him to quit.