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.

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.

That could be what's happened.

Yep it's a really bad idea. I'm pretty relaxed about (some) drug use but a family memb

Oops....sent too soon. I had a family member who used cannabis to self medicate and he became dependent and it changed his personality. He lost friends and relationships as a result.
He obviously need help and support but smoking weed regularly isn't going to be a good solution for him.

Absolutely NOT ok. What job does he do, what about the safety risks? Has he discussed this even with his GP? The money spent on his cannabis would be much spent going privately to see a consultant. Your sister is being idiotic in supporting him with this.

Cannabis and cbd oil are not a good way to self medicate ADHD or ADD as they are a relaxant.

Stimulants strangely are the way to go. The brain is actually under stimulated resulting in the symptoms of ADHD.

Stimulants combined with ADHD result in a slowing down and better focus. Many people with adhd drink copious coffee and smoke to help focus. These are examples of over the counter stimulants.

That's a very loose way to describe it. It varies. But I do know you don't treat with relaxants even though that's what you'd assume to be the case.

Absolutely NOT ok. What job does he do, what about the safety risks? Has he discussed this even with his GP? The money spent on his cannabis would be much spent going privately to see a consultant. Your sister is being idiotic in supporting him with this.

He's an apprentice electrician.

I don't know what has or hasn't been said by GP.

My sister just said she had incredible trouble getting him diagnosis and support etc during his gcses and there's a 2 yr waiting list. I asked if hes on it and she said yes.

That's a very good point re money... weed etc can be pricey, and yes that money could've been used towards a private consultation.

Stimulants strangely are the way to go. The brain is actually under stimulated resulting in the symptoms of ADHD.

That does seem pretty counter intuitive.

My boyfriend uses cannabis for his ADHD, along with xaggitin. Both are prescribed - he's meant to vape the cannabis but usually smokes it. He's been on this treatment pathway for 18 months. However he's a grown adult in his 40s, and he's not working in a field where it could impair his fitness to work.

Problem is now, no matter how diplomatically I try to present these perspectives... it's already become contentious.

During the discussion she was veering between "it helps his adhd" and "its a common , experimental teenage phase".
My own (extremely light) marijuana experimentation at University was raised; I don't think she realised just how light it was but i tried to outline it. I didn't even get onto the fact that i was a student with a Pt bar job who didn't drive, and had no adhd. (That didn't occur to me at the time because it was a fast moving, quickly quire contentious conversation).

My boyfriend uses cannabis for his ADHD, along with xaggitin. Both are prescribed

That's interesting because most posters have said cannabis is not a good treatment as such for adhd.

Anyway I suppose the cannabis is a certain dose and produced in labs and regulated.

Presumably @CthulhuInDisguise that is prescribed medical grade cannabis rather than off the street which is normally much stronger THC content and mixed with other drugs.

CBD oil for assistance to sleep may be worth looking at, but in general, it's never a good idea for teenagers to use cannabis consistently while their brain is developing.

Interesting to read about the stimulants though, my son is being assessed for ADHD at the moment so I will bear that in mind.

I agree with pretty much everyone else on the fact that cannabis use does not seem like a good idea.

However I would say that what your sister says about the ranting is likely to be true, very hard to deal with, does sadly have to be tolerated to a certain extent and is very unlikely to be visible to anyone outside the immediate family. And yes, parenting a teenager is hard and difficult for someone who only has young children to understand, and different to what an older generation would have needed to deal with when they parented teenagers.

So your sister probably feels very stuck.

Our son started smoking cannabis as a teen. We have tried to persuade him not to for over 20 years. He has now been in a secure mental health unit for psychosis for 6 weeks, and we have no idea when he will be able to come out. He has never been able to hold down a job or a relationship, he gets angry, frustrated and violent. It has been a nightmare. I know a lot of people do not have long term problems, but we know 3 men of the same age with similar problems. They have all had a good upbringing, from families that love them, are not broken homes and have has every advantage. Do not listen to people who are soft on the drug, who say its just a phase. It is an evil poison that destroys lives. I would not wish what we have gone through with him on anyone.

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315187#cbd-and-adhd

This talks about weed not just cbd and seems fairly balanced. It is a remarkable plant and can be used to treat many things used correctly.

I'm really sorry Lincslady.

I hope he can get some treatment that works for him.

My guess is the xaggatin and cannabis combo may not be a UK prescription

Also private consult is likely affordable if swapped for the cannabis, ongoing meds vary greatly in price depending on what his body responds to, but may also be affordable.

That adhd is treated with stimulants is 100% correct. The adhd brain is thought to have reduced levels of chemicals between the neurones in the brain, and the stimulants correct this.

However I would say that what your sister says about the ranting is likely to be true, very hard to deal with, does sadly have to be tolerated to a certain extent and is very unlikely to be visible to anyone outside the immediate family.

Maybe I'm being overly simplistic/unsympathetic but I a 19 Yr old was ranting at me for hours repeatedly about something that hadn't gone their way, I think (after listening and trying to talk through it other couple of times) I would tell them to give me a break and do something else (hobby, watch TV, visit friends, go for walk/drive) or take myself for a walk or drive... rather than be rated at repeatedly for hours.

There's also been language towards my sister I couldnt have been so forgiving of (c word)

So your sister probably feels very stuck.

Yes.

She does seem regularly stressed and on the back foot with his behaviour.

(Although he is currently staying at his gf's home much more, because they decided to get a German shepard pup, and it clashes with my sister's elderly family dog etc ).

Maybe this seemed like a solution/she was told its a solution abd happily accepted it, because of her circumstances.

Of course. But a 19yr old in an ADHD rant is not going to stop ranting on your say so to watch a video. Leaving the house is possibly an option, but may put your belongings or other people in the house at risk, or maybe you need to be in the house (eg to cook dinner, go to sleep etc). In which case you have no choice but to disengage and ignore, but the ranting may still continue.

Have you spoken to your nephew?

Anyway, you all have my sympathy. There is probably a limited amount you can affect this, so possibly showing that you are very sympathetic, whilst also worried this may have the opposite effect to the desired one, and not engaging in a debate too much, is the way to go.

I grew up with someone who smoked regularly since we were teens and he now has schizophrenia. Given the links between cannabis and psychosis I'm sure it's more than a coincidence. I also experienced short term drug induced psychosis after trying it at 15. But unfortunately I think it's unlikely they will listen to you :(

@HairyKitty it is a Harley Street consultant for the cannabis and is medical grade. It costs £300 a month, but it is safer than getting it from illicit sources. Xaggitin is NHS prescription, it's a joint treatment plan between the two clinics.

Any electrician who came to my home or workplace smelling of cannabis ( and he will be!!) will be shown the door

As a magistrate I can tell you that the drug drive limit is set as a very different level to the drink drive level. Drink drive limits are set where it is deemed there will be an impairment to your ability to drive. Drug drive limits are set at a level just to avoid false positives, so very much lower.

We regularly see people in court charged with drug driving who say they have just had a joint the night before. They are often shocked it is still in their system. Trying to do research on cannabis levels and how long they take to go down is really hard I found when I googled a while ago. It is definite to say that it hangs around your system a lot longer than alcohol.

i would also say that when we have drug addicts in, which is virtually every day I am in court, their habits often started with cannabis. They often went onto harder drugs or sometimes have incurred mental health issues as a result. Obviously we only see the people where it has had a detrimental effect, but there are enough of them around that it made me very harsh on it with my teenagers.

Sorry you and your sister are in this position OP. I wonder if she is also very unhappy about it and feels she has to accept this so is putting a brave face on?