The 15% risk rule...

On October 9, 2009, Daniel Vaillant, elected socialist of the XNUMXth arrondissement of Paris declared himself in favor of a regulated sale of cannabis.
«  Shouldn't we bet on legalizing the personal consumption of cannabis through control of production and importation, as is the case with alcohol?"
"Since I became mayor of the XNUMXth arrondissement, no resident has come to complain about cannabis users. But crack, yes. Is cannabis dangerous? Yes. Does it affect health? Of course. Sleep, reflexes take a hit, the ability to work, to be awake, to study, surely. I don't play dumb, but is it any different from alcohol “, he explains to the Le Parisien.
March 26 on The post I was able to read: On February 26, 2010, we learned that the mayor of the 18th arrondissement, Daniel Vaillant, had created a parliamentary working group on the legalization of cannabis in France. This followed his announcement in October 2009 of wanting the legalization of cannabis. Today, the mayor of Sevran, Stéphane Gatignon, following a heated altercation between rival gangs against the background of drug trafficking, insists that we open the debate on the legalization of cannabis. »

Strange substance than cannabis. It appeals to young people earlier and earlier and worries parents and health professionals. Illegal, it is however within everyone's reach and adolescents discover it on average at 15 years old. It should be noted that all social categories are concerned, chic neighborhoods as well as disadvantaged suburbs. It must be said that the offer is not lacking: it is estimated that a teenager is offered a joint twice a month, which makes 24 times a year. He will therefore have – low estimate – 140 occasions to smoke during the college-high school years! How, at the age of all possibilities, resist the urge to try, if only once, to see? It seems so innocuous, harmless. The proof, we get it as we want, and most often from friends or acquaintances of the latter. Pot has become a local product, just like alcohol. " From the third class, or even before, they smoke on occasion, rather on Saturdays, during a party “says Daniel Marcelli, psychiatrist.

I confess that these readings sent chills down my spine. However, like many, I do not find that prohibitions are the panacea in this kind of problem. Prohibition leads to the black market, the taste for the forbidden leads to an explosion in consumption. Only here, I was the mother of a young girl who fell into drugs. The occasional little firecracker became daily and I saw nothing (the famous it only happens to others, you know !). When I discovered the situation, it was already too late; she was addicted. I took fright, because I saw her becoming different: those vague eyes, she was no longer interested in anything, became paranoid, shutting herself up in a loneliness that she couldn't bear but that she engendered herself- even by his aggressive and changing behaviors. If you have already read my few writings, you know that she ended her life on August 30, 2005. I can already hear you reacting, it was not a joint that put her in this state… My child suffered a behavioral disorder called "Borderline". Medically, the effects and dangers of cannabis vary according to the individual and the mode of consumption. Cannabis intoxication (euphoria, sensory changes, relaxation, but also reduced reflexes, possible nausea, vomiting) generally occurs within 2 hours of taking and lasts a few hours.

This intoxication can also lead to the acute decompensation of a psychosis, that is to say the triggering or accentuation of a psychiatric pathology when taking cannabis.

The debate on the legalization of cannabis has been open for a few years now. It is my bias to submit an interview (Nouvel Obs-February 2005) to Doctor Xavier Pommereau, a specialist in risky behaviour. I have read so much on this subject and I totally agree with Dr. Pommereau's analysis:

Le Nouvel Observateur. – You opened the Abadie center in 1992. In twelve years, how has the consumption of cannabis evolved among your young patients?

Xavier Pommereau.- " We have long underestimated the influence of cannabis among adolescents. But for five years it is striking: we have gone from high school years to college years. The number of consumers has increased, and they are getting younger and younger. This also applies to all behavioral disorders: suicide attempts, scarification, repeated drunkenness, dangerous behavior... "" Today, teenagers cannot find their distance from their parents. Suddenly, they invented a new planet, the teen planet. Between the ages of 8 and 25, there are postures, looks, consumption – tobacco, alcohol, cannabis... – which serve as rites of passage and say: “I am a teenager. That never existed before. With gel to put their hair in firecrackers, sequins, gothic fashion, they make a uniform. Through appearance, 85% of teenagers generally manage to make their mark – both literally and figuratively – in relation to their parents. The remaining 15% do poorly because they have good reasons for having identity problems. »

NO – Which ones?

X. Pommereau. - " There is mental illness – psychosis, schizophrenia, severe depression… – which concerns 20% of this 15%. »

NO – Are there markers of adolescent malaise?

X. Pommereau. –“ The need to act in the rupture in a repeated, pronounced way: "to tear oneself away" (to leave), "to tear oneself apart" (the head), "to be frightened" (to take risks)... Any teenager wants to know these experiences. For those who are well, this will give them a threshold. He will define his limits, and the experience will serve as a lesson to him. The adolescent who is going badly seeks more than that and goes further. He needs to break up to feel he exists, to stop suffering, to be recognized »

Such a vast debate cannot be settled in a few lines, but are you parents so sure that your child is not one of these 15% of adolescents at risk???