HLTH 252 Week 6 Discussion Board Forum 4 Example

Discussion Board Forum 4: Opioids, Hallucinogens and Marijuana

HLTH 252 Drugs in Society, Discussion Board Forum 4

Thread by [Student Name]

The classmates are composites; the textbook, Scripture and the peer-reviewed studies cited are real.

Many people assume that when a state legalizes marijuana for adults, more teenagers will start using it. It seems logical, since legal products become more visible and easier for adults to buy. This week's chapter and recent research suggest the picture is more complicated.

Hart and Ksir (2018) explain that THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana, acts on cannabinoid receptors that are found throughout the brain, including areas involved in memory, coordination and mood. The effects depend heavily on dose, and today's cannabis products often contain far more THC than those of past decades. That means the same number of uses can deliver much larger doses.

On the question of how many teens use, Anderson et al. (2019) analyzed Youth Risk Behavior Survey data covering 1993 to 2017 and found no increase in teen marijuana use after states legalized recreational marijuana; the estimates suggested about 8% lower odds of use. One explanation is that licensed stores check identification, while illegal dealers do not. On the question of risk, Di Forti et al. (2019) compared 901 people with a first episode of psychosis with 1,237 community controls at 11 sites in Europe and Brazil. Daily cannabis use was linked to about three times the odds of psychotic disorder, and daily use of high-potency cannabis, with 10% THC or more, to nearly five times the odds. The policy question that gets the headlines is whether marijuana is legal, but the health question that matters most is how strong it is and how often young people use it.

First Peter 5:8 calls believers to be sober-minded and watchful (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016). For teenagers, whose brains are still developing, protecting a clear mind is especially important. Prevention programs should teach young people honestly about potency and frequency rather than relying on fear or on the law alone.

Reply to Hannah

Hannah, your thread on psilocybin therapy for depression was fascinating. Hart and Ksir (2018) explain that hallucinogens like psilocybin act mainly on serotonin receptors and can produce intense changes in perception, mood and thinking, which researchers hope can help people break out of rigid patterns of depressed thought. I agree that the early research is promising, but I think the setting is essential to its safety. In clinical studies, patients are screened carefully, prepared before the session and supported by trained therapists during and after it. People who try psilocybin on their own lack those protections, and the chapter notes that bad experiences can be frightening and risky for people with a personal or family history of psychosis. Psalm 34:18 says the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit, and I think Christians can welcome new treatments for depression while insisting that they be studied carefully and offered safely.

Reply to Luis

Luis, I strongly agree with your proposal to make naloxone available in schools, libraries and workplaces. Hart and Ksir (2018) explain that opioids act on receptors in the brainstem that control breathing, so an overdose kills by slowing and then stopping respiration. Naloxone works by blocking those receptors and pushing the opioid off them, which can restore breathing within minutes if it is given in time. With fentanyl in so much of the drug supply, many people who die never intended to take an opioid at all, which means bystanders, not medical professionals, are often the first people able to help, sometimes a friend or a stranger at a bus stop. Training community members to recognize an overdose and give naloxone is a simple, low-cost step. In Ezekiel 34:16, God says he will seek the lost, bring back the strayed and bind up the injured (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016). Naloxone gives ordinary people a way to take part in that kind of rescue, and a person who survives an overdose still has the chance to recover.

References

Anderson, D. M., Hansen, B., Rees, D. I., & Sabia, J. J. (2019). Association of marijuana laws with teen marijuana use: New estimates from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(9), 879-881. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1720

Di Forti, M., Quattrone, D., Freeman, T. P., Tripoli, G., Gayer-Anderson, C., Quigley, H., Rodriguez, V., Jongsma, H. E., Ferraro, L., La Cascia, C., La Barbera, D., Tarricone, I., Berardi, D., Szöke, A., Arango, C., Tortelli, A., Velthorst, E., Bernardo, M., Del-Ben, C. M., . . . van der Ven, E. (2019). The contribution of cannabis use to variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder across Europe (EU-GEI): A multicentre case-control study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(5), 427-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30048-3

English Standard Version Bible. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)

Hart, C. L., & Ksir, C. (2018). Drugs, society, and human behavior (17th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.