You will learn how parents, who themselves use medical marijuana, have further considerations as they help their kids understand these concepts. This webinar is co-hosted by Chanda Sinclair of the Portland Department of Substance Abuse Prevention and WCM’s Director of Education Becky DeKeuster. Join us for a lively discussion and a Q & A session, with helpful tips & tools for having honest, age-appropriate discussions with kids from toddlers to teens.

1. Delivery Methods and Dosing:
Making the most of your medicine
Parenting and
Medical Cannabis
Presenters:
Becky DeKeuster, M.Ed, WCM Director of Education
Chanda Sinclair, Community Health Promotion Specialist
Portland, ME Public Health Division
Producer: Ben Gelassen, WCM Marketing Associate
Talking to Your Kids in a Changing World

2. Legalized medical marijuana presents
all adults with new opportunities to
help children understand:
- Why healthy kids should NOT use
cannabis, and
- Why some adults choose to use this
plant therapeutically
Parents who use therapeutic cannabis have further
considerations to think about, as they help their children
understand these issues and make healthy choices.

3. Delivery Methods and Dosing:
Making the most of your medicine
What does the data tell us about
youth use of & attitudes about
marijuana?

4. Source: Portland Public Health Substance Abuse Prevention Program, via the Public Health Program of the Opportunity Alliance. 2007-2013.

5. Source: Portland Public Health Substance Abuse
Prevention Program, via the Public Health Program of The
Opportunity Alliance. 2007-2013.
“The origin of this figure is indeed NIDA research first
published in a 1994 article in the journal
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology…The
survey was based on diagnostic definitions for
cannabis dependence that were published in 1987 in
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (3rd edition,
revised) put out by the American Psychiatric
Association. This manual has an inherent bias against
non-problematic cannabis use and privileges the
normalcy of alcohol use.”

6. Source: www.medicalmarijuana.com
Source: Portland Public Health Substance Abuse Prevention Program, via the Public Health Program of the Opportunity Alliance. 2007-2013.

7. Source: Portland Public Health Substance Abuse Prevention Program, via the Public Health Program of the Opportunity Alliance. 2007-2013.

8. Source: Portland Public Health Substance Abuse Prevention Program, via the Public Health Program of the Opportunity Alliance. 2007-2013.

9. Sources: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/high-school-youth-trends;
also http://news.utexas.edu/2015/07/13/marijuana-use-is-down-disapproval-is-up-
among-young-teens (both accessed 9/29/15)
Youth marijuana use stayed statistically stable in 2014, despite an
increased number of states where medical or adult use cannabis is legal,
and despite the fact that the number of youth who perceive marijuana
use as harmful went down.
Percent of students
reporting use of
cannabis in the past
year. (University of
Michigan, Monitoring
the Future study 2014)

10. Source: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/high-school-youth-trends
(accessed 9/29/15)
Marijuana use continues to exceed cigarette use in all three grade levels.
In 2014, 21.2 percent of high school seniors had used marijuana in the
past 30 days, whereas only 13.6 percent had smoked cigarettes.
Percent of students
perceiving “great risk”
from using cannabis.
(University of Michigan,
Monitoring the Future
study 2014)

11. Delivery Methods and Dosing:
Making the most of your medicine
I’m a parent who is also a certified
medical cannabis patient. My use is
responsible and therapeutic. What
should I tell my children about this?

12. 1. Keep it age-appropriate. (“Uncle Jerry’s garden”)
2. Be honest. (“Medicine for grown-ups”)
3. Emphasize that family health issues are private.
4. Be positive, calm and reassuring. Your attitude will transmit
directly to your kids’ sensitive antennae.
At any age…

13. Think
The brain isn’t fully developed
until the mid-20s, and teens who
smoke marijuana may be more
likely to become dependent than
those who begin use as adults.

14. Secure
Always keep medical cannabis in a
safe and secure place away from
children, pets, and guests.
Store in odor-proof packaging, in a
safe or lock box.

15. Monitor
Know how much you
have and keep track of
your medical cannabis.

16. Talk early, talk often
Conversation is often most
effective before youth experiment
with any substance.

17. Tips for starting prevention early
Limit Access
Network
Enforce Rules
Communicate Often
Be Up and Ready
Tips for Starting Prevention Early
Take advantage of everyday opportunities to have
age-appropriate conversations.
Talk to parents of your child’s friends.

18. Delivery Methods and Dosing:
Making the most of your medicine
I’m a parent who is also a certified
medical cannabis patient. Could my status
as a patient affect my parental rights?

19. CPS will respond to reports of child abuse or neglect, and may do
a home inspection to determine whether to involve the courts.
For more information, visit: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/ca_child_custody
Medical cannabis and child custody
CPS can temporarily remove your children, and
may require things like parenting classes, drug
counseling or ongoing drug testing.
A spouse or former partner can use your medical cannabis use
against you in a custody dispute.

20. Keep the minimum amount that you need in your home.
Lock medicine away from kids; child-proof any indoor
cultivation area.
If you cook with cannabis, clearly label infused products and
store in child-proof containers.
Responsible, conscientious use
Do not medicate in the presence of your child.
In dual-parent homes where both parents are patients,
work to ensure one parent is capable of driving or
responding to a crisis at any time.

21. Delivery Methods and Dosing:
Making the most of your medicine
My child is already a tween or teen,
and we haven’t had these talks. Isn’t it
too late for us?

22. As a parent of a teen, it can easily feel that you don’t matter anymore.
Not true!
Your children care what YOU think.
They want to talk to YOU about important issues.
They want YOU to keep connecting, no matter what.
Parents, You Matter!

23. As a parent of a teen, it can easily feel that you don’t matter anymore.
Not true!
• You matter because…. you can help your child avoid
experimenting with substances.
• You matter because… you can help your child get
help if they need it.
• You matter because… youth who learn about the
risks from their parents are less likely to use drugs
and alcohol
Parents, You Matter!

24. Youth are energetic, thoughtful, and idealistic,
with a deep interest in what’s fair and right.
Although the adult brain is much different
than the adolescent brain, adolescents can
make good decisions and differentiate
between right and wrong.
Remember that they may have a harder time making decisions in
high-pressure social situations. This doesn’t mean they should
not be held responsible for their actions.

26. Delivery Methods and Dosing:
Making the most of your medicine
We Are Here to Help
For more resources and information:
Contact Chanda Sinclair at
cls@portlandmaine.gov
207-874-8965
Visit www.maine.gov/dhhs/samhs/
Visit www.maineparents.net

27. Delivery Methods and Dosing:
Making the most of your medicine
Thank you for your
time and attention!
Are there any questions?
www.mainewellness.org
@wellconnectme
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Instagram: @mainewellness