To have reservations about nephew using cannabis for adhd

[LooseGoose22]

My sister has gotten pretty offended when I expressed concern/reservations about her 19 yr old son using cannabis, she says, to help him relax and sleep due to his adhd.

My first reservation was the due to seeing a few articles recently aboit cannabis use, even casual, affecting the brain, in particular developing brains.

Second was due to the risk of dependence (and increased use) over time.

I didn't say at the time (because it got v heated quite quickly) but also concerned about him driving and working (manual job with a big safety emphasis... apprentice electrician).

And also possible testing by employers.

Sister gave the impression it was every night, my Mum has since said its not, but I don't know if she's just saying that because it caused a "lively" debate.

This is smoking by the way.

I also said the smoking angle wasn’t great , maybe there is a better way of taking it .... that was just met with the fact that his grandmother lived to 79, having smoked since around 15.

I said he should be getting help & advice from from qualified professional, maybe medication through them and was told she'd had an extremely difficult time getting diagnosis and any help for him when trying to get him through gcse's and that there's a 2 yr waiting list ..... I asked if he was on the waiting list and the answer was yes; but I'm wondering if that process started during gcse's, why (at 19) he woouldbt have been seen by now. I'm not sure what is happening/has been happening on that front, and by that point the conversation was not going well so I didnt ask any further about it.

If he isn’t going to go for prescription medication it would be safer and also legal (!) to go for melatonin (legal US import) and high quality cbd oil for sleep and relieving the brain chatter, and perhaps caffeine for increased focus.

Using marjuana for this is a slippery slope to nowhere good.

Heavy machinery and weed do not mix. This is a safety issue.

In general, cannabis is not good for teenagers whose brains are still developing.

I think that, for adults, its fairly benign if used responsibly - but certainly not for everyone (just as alcohol isn't for everyone).

OP makes good points about work checks etc also.

I think it would be a better policy to see if the GP can help somehow. Or perhaps (legal) CBD might help?

Thanks for the advice, I know very little about adhd, but I had reservations about cannabis in general.

Tbh I think it's bring used as an excuse ... a lot of his friends use it, he clearly wants to use it, it seems like he's saying its good for adhd and my sister has swallowed that (so he can use it without argument/hassle).

Unfortunately my sister and I have disagreed before on the wider subject because she's taken verbal abuse, told me she and his Dad are subjected to hours or ranting & raving if things don't go his way ... and spoken like these have to be tolerated (to some extent anyway( because he has adhd.

She thinks I have a black and white, too simple, too severe approach, and can't appreciate raising teenagers because I only have a young child.

I would say that the adhd symptoms that affect social interactions, academic/employment, organisation, executive function etc won’t be improved with cannabis use. The cannabis would only act as a dulling agent to reduce anxiety/stress (which not all people with adhd experience) and allow the individual to feel “chilled”. Any benefits here are outweighed by the problems.

I think it would be a better policy to see if the GP can help somehow. Or perhaps (legal) CBD might help?

She says he's on the waiting list to ve see about adhd.

I suggested cbd rather than smoking and as I mentioned, smoking was dismissed as not being a risk. (I didn't even think to say that cbd would be regulated, whereas weed, dope, whatever is not).

I’ve 2 DC 18 and 19, both ADHD etc and medicated for it.

DC1 had melatonin for sleep and anxiety meds, melatonin is removed at 18 by psychiatrists as it’s only licensed for under 18 and over 50, DC now takes amytriptyline for sleep along with anxiety meds

DC2 was never prescribed melatonin although we did import from the States. This DC. decided to not take meds but does regularly use CBD spray if having problems with sleep or anxiety (has just done exams)

neither route is right or wrong, it’s personal choice but needs you to have all the facts before you make a decision

I don't know if he'd be using heavy machinery as such as an apprentice electrician.

But I can't say I'd be over the moon at the idea of a building I was in having been wired by a young person who is smoking weed most evenings.

(Got the impression it was more evenings but now it won't ve, because ot turned into an unpleasant sort of debate).

I think this is one of those disasters waiting to happen, where you just have to ignore the issue as nothing you say is going to help him, your relationship with your family, etc etc.

Disengage, change the subject.

I'd probably stick with: you know my thoughts on this subject, I'm not going to discuss it with you any further.

I am always surprised to hear that people use cannabis for ADHD because the adults and children I have known who are medicated for ADHD use stimulants to gain, maintain or focus their thoughts and energy.

Anyway, whatever the personal thoughts about cannabis as a medicine for anything it absolutely does not mix with that type of work (driving, as it's a criminal act to drive under the influence and many health and safety policies such as those in big electrical engineering companies forbid its use recreationally and so randomly drug test)

but does regularly use CBD spray if having problems with sleep or anxiety (has just done exams)

If I'd been told he was doing this, I'd not really have had concerns (other than wondering if the studies still apply re brain changes where cbd is being used).

It seems like a lifestyle choice, one involving illegal, unregulated drugs, is being dressed up as treatment/fine. Whereas I'd worry about the effects, an think anything should should through a qualified professional.

I worked with a young person who used cannabis for those exact reasons and he came to us with drug induced psychosis.

Yes😣

Fuck.

My sister seems to be of the opinion that it's light use, so isn't an issue.

But the latest research seems to have found even light use can have an effect.

I'd also worry light use could become steady/increased use.

Anyway, whatever the personal thoughts about cannabis as a medicine for anything it absolutely does not mix with that type of work (driving, as it's a criminal act to drive under the influence and many health and safety policies such as those in big electrical engineering companies forbid its use recreationally and so randomly drug test)

Im going to Google this but just in case anyone knows; how long could this "one joint" a night have an effect or be detectable?

I think he's with a small company atm, but why cause yourself problems with potential employment with a big company.

If he's only smoking it in the evenings it's unlikely to affect his job during the day.

I think it's up to you if you don't like the idea but realistically he's an adult you aren't responsible for doing something a huge amount of adults do. It's not a given it's going to have the hugely negative affects you've researched - lots of people smoke weed without it going that way.

I would let it go.

Waiting lists for any kind of ADHD support can easily be more than two years.

If he was first referred for support during GCSE years he would have probably been on the waiting list for the child service and have aged out when he reached 18 and put on a new list for adult services.

There are private clinics now where they prescribe medical cannabis but they are expensive and I don't know if it would have the same problems with machinery that street cannabis has. I believe cannabis stays in the system and is detectable in drug tests for up to 30 days if you are a heavy smoker.

I've just read a paper on the affects of marijuana use on ADHD by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (University of Washington). According to them there is a ton of anecdotal evidence if the benefits but not a shred of scientific evidence.

They say there hasn't been a huge amount of research but what has been done indicates that it is not wise to use marijuana if you have ADHD. Marijuana impairs the brain function in the same way as ADHD and will therefore exacerbate AdHD symptoms. The evidence also suugests that those with ADHD are at increased risk of developing cannabis use disorders.

I agree. Cannabis has the opposite action to what is needed by people with adhd. I don’t believe it can be used to alleviate adhd symptoms. Only to zone out like anyone else.

Thanks for this, I will perhaps show it to my sister - though anything may just make relations worse

I agree that regular weed-smoking is not a healthy way to manage ADHD, for all the reasons you and PPs have cited re. mental health risks, smoking risks etc. I personally doubt it will be a safety concern at work if he's only smoking in the evenings, but obviously he could easily lose his job if they do random testing.

Also, given that prescribed ADHD medications are actually stimulants, not sedative/depressant/relaxant drugs, I wouldn't have thought that weed would be particularly effective for ADHD anyway. It certainly doesn't help with concentration and focus, which is what ADHD drugs are meant to improve. It sounds like they might be misunderstanding exactly what ADHD is - they're focusing on the H part, not the AD part.

So basically, yes, your points are all completely valid. I suppose, though, that ultimately your nephew is an adult and your sister is the parent, so there's not really anything you can do and her view is that it's none of your business - which technically it isn't, to be fair, but it's obvious that you have your nephew's welfare at heart and that your reservations are coming from a place of genuine love and concern, so I sympathise with you greatly.

If he's only smoking it in the evenings it's unlikely to affect his job during the day.

I was told he smoked it before bed.

Do you know for sure how long it stays in the system?

How would one even know for sure when it's a varying, unregulated street drug.

I suppose, though, that ultimately your nephew is an adult and your sister is the parent, so there's not really anything you can do and her view is that it's none of your business - which technically it isn't, to be fair, but it's obvious that you have your nephew's welfare at heart and that your reservations are coming from a place of genuine love and concern

Yes and yes.

I suppose I hope to persuade my sister that it's not as simple as "he smokes one spliff max in the evening/before bed to help his adhd, its much better than him drinking loads" etc.

So maybe they wouldn't be as accepting and maybe it would have an influence on him.