Dab Pen, Victoria Leoni

Dab Pen

Victoria Leoni

This word is important to the study of adolescence and health because it is a tool that adolescence are using to smoke marijuana. Since marijuana has become legal in Canada it has become more accessible and acceptable. Many youths may think that because it is legal it is okay to smoke however there are long-term health concerns from underage usage. Also, dab pens are in the form of a pen so students can smoke it inside making it more accessible to get high. These are very popular in high schools right now and students are using them in school and even in the classroom.

A dab pen is a slang word for a marijuana vaporizer, they are also called wax pens or wax vaporizers (Rise, 2022). Dab pens heat up the cannabis concentrate which turns it into a vaporizer. They are different than vapes because dab pens work with pure concentrates as opposed to vape pens that require cartridges (Rise, 2022). This is a popular term used in high schools right now and a popular item being used and abused by adolescents in high school. This word helps us understand the experience of young people because we are able to understand their inside stories by understanding their language and the tools that they are usingtoexperiment. Rightnowinhighschoolsdabpensaresopopular,fromsmokingthem to selling them, dab pens are so popular and common among adolescence. Young people are going through so many changes and phases which include experimenting with drugs which is why the term “dab pen” allows us to understand these phases. In a world where vapes and e-cigarettes are becoming more and more popular, it is important to educate ourselves and stay relevant in what drugs, substances and terminology/slang are being used by adolescence. What is popular now in high schools may be different than what we had growing up, for example, a high school 5-10 years ago would have cigarettes and joints as the main concern however in today's high school dab pens and vapes are what students are using. It is important to educate ourselves on these things so we can understand what the modern-day adolescent is going through and experiencing because their experiences will be very different than what we remember our adolescent experience to be like. This word is related to youth’s health and well-being because marijuana abuse and usage has many side effects on underage children. This can then affect the child's brain and development. In a study conducted in 2004 on marijuana use in adolescence, they found that more frequent use of marijuana during adolescence is associated with poorer achievement and lower expectations for academic success, a greater likelihood of using other drugs, and postponement of marriage and employment (Ellickson et al., 2004). It was also evident through the results that marijuana may contribute to cognitive impairments, adverse effects on long-term physical health, and higher levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation (Ellickson et al., 2004). This is important to note so that as educators we can stay relevant to the adolescent experience and help and support them in ways that they need.

To learn more about dab pens follow the links,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE5F94__k98 https://journals-scholarsportalinfo.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/pdf/02786133/v23i0003/299_mu fatydtatao.xml A great media comparison is the movie LOL and the show Euphoria, LOL came out in 2012 and I personally think captures adolescence very well, including rebelling, fights with parents, smoking cigarettes/weed, ect. While most of that stays consistent in Euphoria, a modern-day high school show, the biggest difference is the use of vapes, e-cigarettes and dab pens throughout the show. Here we can see a clear comparison of what drugs and substances were used in high schools about 10 years ago to what modern-day adolescents are using. From someone who grew up in high school during 2014-2018, it is extremely shocking to know that no one even carries around a lighter anymore, this is a great example of how what we remember our adolescent experience to be like will be very different than what it is today.

References Ellickson, P. L., Martino, S. C., & Collins, R. L. (2004). Marijuana Use From Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Multiple Developmental Trajectories and Their Associated Outcomes. Health Psychology, 23(3), 299–307. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.23.3.299 Rise Dispensary Recreational & medical marijuana dispensaries. RISE Dispensaries. (2022, October 12). Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://risecannabis.com/