Critically Speaking

It's not your parent's weed. In fact, it's much stronger. Today’s guest is neuroscientist Dr. Jodi Gilman of Harvard University, who has appeared on NPR, Science Friday, and the BBC. She studies the differences in the mental performance, brain structure and risk for psychoses between adolescent cannabis users and nonusers. In this episode, Therese Markow and Jodi Gilman discuss the two main components of cannabis and their function, medical research on marijuana use and harmful effects and the importance of understanding THC and CBD distinctions and related health assumptions.

Key Takeaways:

• The THC concentration has increased from 2% in the 1960’s to 80% in high potency THC products now.
• It is not cut and dry whether marijuana always is harmful. There are multiple factors including the user’s age, the potency and frequency of use.
• Adolescent marijuana use alters brain structure, function and cognition only partially recover after six weeks of abstinence.

"The commercial market has driven an increase in potency to provide the best, the bigger high and financial interest." —  Jodi Gilman

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Twitter: @CritiSpeak

Cannabis laws are changing rapidly with some legalization of medical marijuana and others for recreational use.  And we see, thankfully, increasing decriminalization. It's easy, however, to confuse these trends with the idea that marijuana use is safe, that there is no harm.  Dr. Deborah Hasin, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology, Columbia University School of Medicine  discusses the changes in the laws, the increasing strength of cannabis and the increasing use of cannabis among pregnant women and adolescents.  While tobacco and alcohol use has decreased in pregnancy, marijuana use has not. We speak critically about the implications of these changes.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Deborah Hasin discuss:  

• The recommendation from the American Association of Obstetricians to avoid marijuana during pregnancy and the growing perception among pregnant women on the safety of cannabis. 
• The conflict of interest between the public health sector and revenue generating marijuana businesses.  
• Reports of non-medically trained marijuana dispensaries encouraging pregnant women to use cannabis during pregnancy. 

Key Takeaways:  

• Since 2012 there has been an increase in recreational marijuana availability and use.  20% of states in the US currently have recreational marijuana use laws.   
• The rates of alcohol use during pregnancy is lower; however, pregnancy and marijuana use rates have increased 64%. 
• Marijuana is not a risk-free substance. Illegal marijuana samples analyzed using consistent procedures show that the THC content of marijuana has grown stronger and stronger over the last couple of decades. 
• Some studies demonstrate children exposed to marijuana in early childhood display challenges with coordination and learning. 

"There is a public perception that marijuana is a natural substance; therefore, there’s an assumption that it is safe for use during pregnancy." —  Deborah Hasin 

Connect with Deborah Hasin:    

Facebook:   Deborah Hasin

Website:   Deborah S. Hasin, Ph. D.

Connect with Therese:  

Website:   www.criticallyspeaking.net

Twitter: @CritiSpeak

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) real? Dr. Stephen V. Faraone, distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at SUNY Upstate Medical University and author of over 700 scientific articles and five books, speaks critically about this controversial condition, what it is, why it needs to be recognized early and the best treatment initiated as early as possible.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Stephen Faraone discuss:  

• Separating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) myth from fact.  
• Patient symptoms evaluated by medical professionals for a diagnosis of ADHD.
• Understanding the severe consequences for patients if the disorder remains untreated.  

Key Takeaways:  

• ADHD is not only a childhood disorder, but it also affects adults.  2/3 of patients with ADHD as an adolescent have ADHD as an adult.
• Medications prescribed to adolescents to effectively treat the disorder are also used with adults.
• 5% of the population has ADHD. While the disorder affects both sexes, it is more prevalent in boys.  The ratio of an ADHD diagnosis in boys to girls is 6 to 1.
• The three main features of ADHD are 1) hyperactivity, 2) inattention and 3) impulsivity to the degree that it causes severe problems with relationships, workforce challenges, and education.

"ADHD is a disorder that can have serious consequences.  It is also one of the disorders that are easiest to treat with available medications." —  Stephen Faraone  

Connect with Stephen Faraone:    

Twitter:  @stephenfaraone  

Book: Straight Talk about Your Child's Mental Health

LinkedIn: Stephen Faraone, Ph.D.

Connect with Therese:  

Website:   www.criticallyspeaking.net

Twitter: @CritiSpeak

• Tsuang MT, Faraone SV. The Genetics of Mood Disorders, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins; 1990
• Faraone SV, Tsuang, D, Tsuang MT.  Genetics of Mental Disorders: A Guide for Students, Clinicians, and Researchers, New York, NY: Guilford;1999.
• Faraone, S.V.  Straight Talk About Your Child’s Mental Health: What To Do When Something Seems Wrong, New York, NY: Guilford, 2003.
• Tsuang MT, Faraone SV & Glatt SG Schizophrenia: The Facts, Oxford University Press; 2011.

Faraone, S.V. & Antshel, K. ADHD: Non-Pharmacologic Interventions Elsevier, 2014

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

Welcome to Critical Speaking with Therese Markow!  

Your host for Critically Speaking is Dr. Therese Markow, an award-winning geneticist who has held endowed professorships at major universities in the United States, as well as positions abroad. After decades of teaching undergraduates and training graduate and postdoctoral students, she now turns her attention to connecting with a broader audience, by having critical discussions, in everyday language, about issues that impact our health, our society, and our planet. Join her on a weekly journey to hear critical discussions among experts about topics in language that everyone can understand. Let's separate fact from fantasies and critically discuss issues.  

"I've seen a widening in the gulf between societal practices, and what scientific evidence reveals about a wide range of topics. Often this gap has produced disastrous results." —  Therese Markow    

Connect with Therese:  

Website:   www.criticallyspeaking.net

Twitter: @CritiSpeak

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.