Herbal Remedy:Teens Often Use Cannabis For Relief, Not Recreation, Stu

[grace]

When legal therapies let them down, some teens turn to cannabis. A new study, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Substance Abuse, Treatment, Prevention and Policy suggests that around a third of teens who smoke cannabis on a regular basis use it as a medication, rather than as a means of getting high.

 

Joan Bottorff worked with a team of researchers from the University of British Columbia, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, to conduct in-depth interviews with 63 cannabis-using adolescents. Of these, 20 claimed that they used cannabis to relieve or manage health problems. Bottorff said, "Marijuana is perceived by some teens to be the only available alternative for those experiencing difficult health problems when legitimate medical treatments have failed or when they lack access to appropriate health care".

 

The most common complaints recorded were emotional problems (including depression, anxiety and stress), sleep difficulties, problems with concentration and physical pain. The teens' experiences with the medical system were uniformly negative. The authors said, "Youth who reported they had been prescribed drugs such as Ritalin, Prozac or sleeping pills, stopped using them because they did not like how these drugs made them feel or found them ineffective. For these kids, the purpose of smoking marijuana was not specifically about getting high or stoned".

 

The authors emphasize that the unmet medical needs of these teens are of key importance in these findings. In contrast to the unpleasant side effects of prescribed medications and long, ineffective legal therapies, cannabis provided these adolescents with immediate relief for a variety of health concerns. Of course, cannabis isn't completely harmless, but as one of the respondents noted, "It's not good for you, but then again, neither is McDonald's and a lot of other things".

 

Date: 24 April 2009

Source: ScienceDaily

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/...90422191724.htm

[luciddreaming]

I can attest that this is probably true. But it's the same as alcohol or anything else teens use in some circumstances. But alcohol is usually used for stress or depressions and it doesn't help in the long run. Weed does though, it's just another form of stress, depression, anxiety relief but has a myriad of other uses. I don't understand why the pollies and some doctors can't just look at it like that.

[DarkSpark]

I rarely see alchohol used as a relaxant or anti-depressant. However i for several years used cannabis as a relaxant too help me study for school as well as my multimedia course. I found it far easier too put the required time and effort into things whilst "stoned". Infact i actually find myself too be far more meticulous with everything i do whilst high, being very precise almost too the point of OCD which is great for getting good grades, however i had some special shit for that i got off my roommate which seemed too have that effect now i just smoke as it comes as a relaxant, but not liking the way the local smoko is going, turning too different stuff, not the desired effect. As well as this too many people are adding weight additives and shit making deals crap, as well as spraying with other chemicals which i REALLY don't like.

 

But yes "pure" cannabis, i believe, helped me too achieve as well as i did in my studies.

 

And lucid dreaming, the thing with politicians and doctors and anyone "smart" (note the quotations representing sarcasm) really hate too admit they are wrong, and would rather continue doing the wrong thing than admit too their mistakes a lot of the time.

[luciddreaming]

Actually I know a lot of people who use alcohol as stress relief and anti-depressant. That's generally what it is used for IMO. I mean why else would all these people be drinking after a day at work?

[TheLivingEnd]

This is actually true.

 

I suffer from all the things states in the above post.

 

Anxiety, depression,stress and sleep difficulties, Seeing my dad years ago go through this stuff due to when my parents got divorced he was prescribed all different pills and stuff, they didn't do anything for him, he started drinking heavily and things got a lot worse before they got better when we moved states.

 

Now over the last 3 years I've just slowly been going down and down, and about a 18months ago, me refusing to see therapy or take some prescribed magic pills due to seeing how they failed with my father, so such as i saw in my father i turned to alcohol, I'd be drinking really heavily most nights, anywhere up to a quarter bottle of whiskey to a full bottle, and well it didn't help at all alcohol is a depressant. Then Around November last year i decided to get more into marijuana substitute it for alcohol because of how bad alcohol was for me, (I'd smoked marijuana before but that was like the RARE occasional party smoke thing), honestly marijuana has done miracles for me especially in the last 3 months, It helps me sleep, there's less conflict going on in the house now, it gives me the energy to get up in the morning to go to school, it has just 100% helped me.

 

and i probably smoke 90% of the time at home by my self because it is purely for my use in a medicinal purpose, I've probably only smoked in a recreational environment maybe 5 times.

 

 

Marijuana has just honestly help me get my life back on track, so not all teens are the stereotypical "lets smoke because its cool".

[luciddreaming]

Congrats livingend! Good to hear!

Now you just need to turn your dad around.... hehe