Expert: Caroline West - 2/3/2009

Question
my 17yr old daughter is just starting a relationship with a guy who is a regular marijuana user.  He hides  his usage and doesn't know that my daughter is aware of his habits.  We want to do our homework and get more info before she gets more seriously involved.  How harmful/addictive is pot?  What is a safe level - if that is possible?  does it cause problems with eating?  He doesn't eat very much and always says he is full after a few bites.  Watching him eat is painful!  He looks uncomfortable and anxious.  what things should she be aware of?  We think he smokes about 3 joints/day - but not entirely sure.  she is a non-drug user and is feeling a little confused by the whole thing.
Hope you can offer some advice.  thanks.

Answer
Hello Lynn,please accept my apologies for the length of time in responding to your questions.

OK,a few things here I want to talk to you about and I will start with the effects of pot of which there are a number of associated problems. It will usually make the user extremely lazy and lifeless-'chilled out'. However I have worked with people that used to smoke it on their lunch breaks and could still function at work but these have been smoking for years and it is a part of them but normally it does make most users lazy.

It can cause paranoia in varying degrees. Some people are very sensitive to pot and can cause such paranoia that they have to be hospitalized and given medicine. Thats the extreme but nearly everyone I have spoke to have said they do experience some level of paranoia. Its basically harmful to mental health and stability. Research was done on a tribe of people who smoked marijuana for 30 years and at a very young age they had attracted the onset of Dementia so again it is serious to mental health.

The eating has extreme swings. Many smokers experience the 'munchies' and they get ravenous but it too can also go the other way and cause as an appetite suppressant-it just depends when it is smoked and how much.

Contrary to popular belief especially amongst users,they say its not addictive. I always have begged to differ. It is very mentally addictive and some people feel that they are physically addicted aswell. I knew a girl that was a very heavy user and when she didn't have any she would go into unpleasant withdrawals so in my mind I do believe one way or another that it is addictive.

As all drugs are addictive,controlling the amount used is difficult with any drug but there are ways of 'harm minimalization'. He could go out to work/school and not smoke during the day and then come home and relax with a joint and try to just limit it to 1-3 mild joints a night-thats for someone who wishes to continue using and is adopting 'harm reduction'.

He is hiding it from your daughter because he is not proud of it and knows what he is doing is wrong. Hes obviously not very good at hiding it so maybe your daughter or his/your family,if she is serious about him,could sit down and talk to him and maybe help him to quit. Get it out into the open.

Thats about as much as I can say and its up to your daughter whether she wants to continue the relationship but as I said,to avoid harm to her,get it out in the open.

I wish you all the best and hope some of this has helped. If you or even your daughter or her boyfriend wants any more support and advice then you are all free to contact me again in the future. Take good care, Caroline.