By MIA MALDONADO/Oregon Capital Chronicle
SALEM — Oregon youth have some of the most elevated rates of cannabis use in the country — but when it comes to recognizing the risks, they rank at the very bottom.
Public health and drug experts discussed how cannabis use is impacting Oregon youth during a Tuesday meeting of the Senate Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee. They pointed to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that found that 87% of Oregon youth aged 12–17 believe there’s little to no risk in smoking marijuana once a month.
Cannabis is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to use in Oregon, unless medically prescribed. But Oregon has the fourth highest rates of youth cannabis in the country, and medical providers like Lane County Behavioral Health Medical Director Dr. David Rettew still frequently work with young people struggling with cannabis use.
“Unlike many other substances, there is an enormous gap between the actual risk of cannabis and its perceived risk,” he told the committee. “People know that tobacco and alcohol are dangerous, but people do not know that cannabis is dangerous.”
And Oregon youth are already experiencing more mental health challenges than adults, as youth suicide rates have consistently been higher than the U.S. rate.
“I feel we’re facing a perfect storm, greater access, rising potency in a cultural narrative that downplays the real risks, and I believe our youth are being misled, and their health and their futures at stake,” Rep Ed Diehl, R-Stayton told the committee.
Cannabis use downplayed
While most cannabis users do not go on to have substance abuse issues, Rettew said, evidence shows that its use increases the likelihood of using more dangerous drugs.
“One particularly unsettling study that that I ran across was … showing that if you expose rats to THC, not only is that rat more likely to use opiates later in its life, but its offspring are more likely to use opiates later in life through a process called epigenetics,” Rettew said.
Cannabis use also may raise the risk of violent behavior, reduce cognitive functioning, impact motivation and worsen anxiety, he said. Its use also raises the risk of psychotic disorders more than other drugs, including methamphetamines.
Rettew said Oregon can do more to reduce youth exposure, but he did not reference any specific legislation currently advancing in the statehouse to address the issue. He suggested Oregon implement a public health campaign to combat misinformation, expand prevention programs, set stricter potency limits and enhance law enforcement against false advertising and repeated use by minors.
“I still see on newspapers people blatantly saying cannabis will treat your depression,” he said. “It’s illegal to say that, and all the evidence points to exactly the opposite.”
Like Rettew, David Jernigan, a professor at Boston University School of Public Health, offered suggestions to keep youth away from cannabis.
“Don’t let the marijuana industry get big,” read one of his slides.
His presentation highlighted how cannabis businesses have donated $28.9 million to state legislatures throughout the U.S. since 2010. He suggested implementing a THC cap, similar to alcohol and tobacco regulations, and ensuring high-potency products are more tightly controlled.
“It’s important to enable local control, to keep the businesses small and diverse, and again, prevent industry influence by restricting industry members from sitting on any government body, committee or advisory group and separating the administrative authority,” Jernigan said.
A rise in poison cases
An increasing number of children are seeking medical attention after cannabis exposure, according to a 2024 study from Julia Dilley, senior research scientist and epidemiologist at Multnomah County Health Department.
In 2023, children aged 0 to five made up one-third of all cannabis-related cases reported to the Oregon Poison Center, Dilley told the committee.
The rate of child cannabis poisonings in Oregon outpaced Washington and Colorado, two other states that have legalized cannabis. The increase coincided with a 2022 Oregon policy change that doubled the allowable THC content in cannabis edibles from 50 milligrams to 100 milligrams per package, Dilley said.
With edibles appearing as cookies or brownies, Dilley said children may try to try edibles without knowing the impact it has on their bodies. While most children exposed to cannabis will recover, she said others may experience significant issues that impact their breathing, heart rate or consciousness.
- Oregon Capital Chronicle is a nonprofit Salem-based news service that focuses its reporting on Oregon state government, politics and policy.
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