Cannabis in adolescence, a time bomb?

Cannabis starts earlier and earlier as the maturation of the brain in which the substance is found stored is not yet complete, explque Dr. Jean Lavaud specialist in addiction (CHU Rouen).

"The brain completes its maturation at the age of 25 years. Yet cannabis use who knows a real surge since 1993, has a real impact in coming to store in different brain areas. Moreover, this type consumption begins increasingly early (14 years, 10% of young people have smoked a joint), hence the importance of targeting information and prevention at the college, "he says.

In France, the first European consumer countries, passionate debates were generated by cannabis on one side with a commonplace image of peace, tolerance and gentleness without dependence on the other, associated with drugs and crime . "It is therefore essential to adopt an approach as objective as possible, and do not forget to highlight the scientific developments have revealed elements of real danger," said Dr. Lavaud.

Two approaches are essential, he says: "on the one hand, apply the precautionary principle (eg, no cannabis during pregnancy as well as alcohol) and anticipate future damage to the opposite attitude that we adopted about tobacco and alcohol for decades. " According to him, like other addictive products, a classic denial is to hide problems by reassuring the possible absence of harm or seeking a therapeutic bond well, that "the grass is natural.

Cannabis accumulates in the brain and produces delayed (between 8 and 15 days after smoking a single joint). "In addition, smoke hashish have the same components as those of tobacco, particularly carbon dioxide (hypoxia responsible in the blood and muscle), tar (there would be 4-6 times higher than in a cigarette) and dioxins that are both carcinogenic. Indeed, ENT cancers occurring before age 30 are more common among smokers of cannabis. "

In addition, the specialist reports, cannabis smokers smoke on tobacco, the latter increasing the cravings of other substances and responsible for 70,000 deaths per year, or about 200 per day.

MEMORY AND MOTIVATION DISTURBED

Adolescents, informs Dr. Lavaud, cannabis disrupts memory and motivation and slows functional abilities, even if they return to normal after stopping use.

As well as all addictive products, cannabis also stimulates the reward systems, thus inducing a psychological dependence that now stands at 10-20%. This dependence leads, moreover, a risk of joining another drug, harder, such as heroin, cocaine or tobacco and alcohol. In contrast, heroin addicts can become addicted to alcohol and cannabis, according to genetic and environmental susceptibility of the individual, "said the doctor, adding that this happens mostly for everyday use."

Thus, cannabis should be considered a true power dependence on addictive product, which may, therefore, a craving (insomnia, agitation or aggression, loss of appetite, nausea, irritability and hyperactivity).

A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN ACCIDENT

Numerous studies have demonstrated a decrease in alertness and coordination disorders in cannabis, with a decrease from 30 to 50% of capacity for several hours (between 4 and 8 hours) and recovery within 24 hours, says Dr Lavaud.

"After a fatal accident, he illustrates, cannabis is found in the blood of 27% of young victims under the age of 27 years who smoked within 6 hours before the event."

However, he notes, blood levels do not reflect brain levels that are actually much higher.

OTHER RISKS AND IMMEDIATE LATE

Cannabis is responsible for other risks, lists Dr. Lavaud:

- Immediate: bad trip ("bad experience"), characterized by the occurrence of bursts of anxiety and panic can take a look depersonalization syndrome, cognitive impairment and amnestic type that can exist from acute use cannabis acute psychosis (hallucinations, delusions), decompensation of schizophrenia (knowing that a person with schizophrenia smoke hashish seven times more than a normal individual);

- Late (between 2 and 5 years): alterations in behavioral and social performance (stop learning and progress, school failure and love), amotivational syndrome (difficulty concentrating, ideational poverty, emotional indifference with narrowing of the social life );

- Other: mood disorders (anxiety, depression, and suicide), cancers (throat, lungs), cardiovascular complications (arteritis, via chronic inflammation) flashback (hazardous deleterious effect for heavy smokers, related to an accumulation of product in the blood and urine) consequences for the fetus (during pregnancy, cannabis has long been considered rather as psychotoxique nerve, but 50 publications have highlighted the emergence of functional abnormalities in adolescents aged 12 15 years born to mothers smoking the drug during this period of life), hence the importance of recommending zero consumption during pregnancy, as well as alcohol, legal consequences, violence, awareness of other drugs .

To conclude, Dr. Lavaud emphasizes the importance of evaluating and tracking a teenager at risk: Early smoking, high alcohol tolerance (ability to drink at least 6 glasses in one night), family history of dependence ( alcoholism), a finding of more than 6 per year drunkenness, hyperactivity syndrome.