The use of cannabis among youth and young adults (YYA) is on the rise, posing serious mental health risks that are too often overlooked. With increasing availability and a social perception of cannabis as “low-risk,” many parents are left navigating the impacts of substance use on their children and families. Research highlights a growing concern over today’s higher-potency cannabis products and their potential to worsen or trigger mental health challenges in young people.

Parents play a crucial role in recognising behavioural changes, seeking treatment, and supporting recovery. However, they often face significant challenges in accessing adequate resources and navigating a system that frequently minimises cannabis-related risks. The perspectives of parents whose children have experienced severe mental health impacts associated with cannabis use are explored, examining impacts on mental health, the toll on families, treatment challenges, and system recommendations to improve outcomes.

How Cannabis Use Impacts Youth Mental Health

Cannabis use is frequently regarded as harmless, but for youth and young adults, the consequences can be severe. Parents have observed direct links between cannabis use and worsening mental health in their children. For some, cannabis appeared to trigger mental health conditions like psychosis, depression, and anxiety. Others noted it exacerbated pre-existing mental health issues.

Key Mental Health Challenges Related to Cannabis

• Psychosis and Delusions: Multiple parents described their children experiencing paranoia, hallucinations, and cannabis-induced psychosis. These episodes affected their children’s ability to function in daily life and often resulted in hospitalisation.
• Suicide Attempts and Self-Harm: Tragically, some parents reported suicide attempts and self-harming behaviours, which they directly attributed to cannabis use.
• Behavioural Changes: Drastic shifts like dropping grades, increased social withdrawal, or sudden mood swings often acted as warning signs.

Interestingly, some parents observed significant improvements in their children’s mental health when cannabis use discontinued, further suggesting a connection between the two.

The Emotional and Financial Toll on Families

Cannabis use among youth doesn’t just impact the individual; it places a heavy burden on their families. Parents recounted the emotional strain of watching their children struggle, compounded by feelings of guilt, embarrassment, and helplessness.

Common Challenges Faced by Families

• Financial Stress: Families often spent thousands, in some cases hundreds of thousands, on treatments and rehabilitation services. This created lasting financial hardships.
• Strained Relationships: The challenges of supporting their children often led to tension within families, affecting siblings and extended relatives.
• Social Isolation: Many parents felt isolated, unable to talk to friends or community members openly due to the ongoing stigma surrounding cannabis-related mental health issues.

While the overall toll on families was significant, some parents noted a silver lining. For a few, these challenges inspired them to engage in advocacy and recovery communities, helping others facing similar struggles.

Treatment Challenges and Ineffective Support Systems

Parents described difficulties in accessing appropriate treatment, often encountering systems that dismissed cannabis as a potential factor. For example, many treatment facilities focused on more traditional substance use disorders, neglecting cannabis-related risks entirely. This left families with inadequate support during critical moments.

Barriers to Effective Treatment

Parents described significant barriers to accessing effective treatment for their children. Many felt hopeless navigating a healthcare system that often underestimated the risks of cannabis use.

Lack of Awareness Among Healthcare Providers

Parents frequently reported encountering healthcare providers who dismissed their concerns. Some professionals normalised cannabis use or failed to recognise its linkage to mental health struggles like psychosis. This pro-cannabis bias left many families unsupported during crucial intervention windows.

Ineffective or Limited Treatment Options

Parents voiced frustration over the limited range of treatment services available. Treatment facilities often wouldn’t admit young people unless they presented symptoms of psychosis disconnected from cannabis use or co-occurring substance abuse. The lack of early intervention strategies led to feelings of helplessness and worsened outcomes.

Recommendations for Systemic Change

The study also revealed actionable recommendations parents offered to improve how society and healthcare systems respond to the risks of cannabis use among youth.

Increase Public and Professional Awareness

Awareness and education stood out as the most urgent needs. Parents called for clear public health messaging, similar to anti-smoking or drink-driving campaigns, targeting teens and young adults. Healthcare professionals, too, require better education on identifying cannabis-related risks, ensuring families receive informed guidance.

Prioritise Early Intervention

Intervention strategies for substance use disorders often work best when applied early. Parents suggested designing accessible early-intervention services specifically tailored for youth in the initial stages of cannabis use.

Strengthen Regulation on Cannabis Products

Parents expressed concerns over the lack of regulation for cannabis products, particularly high-potency options and misleading marketing tactics targeting youth. They advocated for stricter federal regulations, warning labels outlining mental health risks, and advertising restrictions—similar to current rules for tobacco and alcohol.

Adopt a Family-Centred Approach

Mental health systems often focus solely on youth treatment while overlooking the broader family implications. Parents urged authorities to consider family support as part of the solution, offering educational and emotional resources for caregivers.

These recommendations aim to provide families and healthcare professionals with the tools they need to better address mental health and cannabis challenges.

Source: Springer Nature , Every Brain Matters