Salty, Elise Bondi………………………………………………………………………………227 Sativa, Pranita Santosh

Sativa

Pranita Santosh

The keyword I have chosen for this assignment is Sativa. Sativa is one of two common strains of cannabis and is often known for its possible highly stimulating effects on an individual. The counterpart to Sativa is Indica, known for its potential effects of inducing deep relaxation. When looking at Sativa, one of the reasons youth usually gravitate towards it is because of the common idea that it causes them to be more alert and aware of their surroundings, allowing them to focus more effectively. However, research shows that different types of sativa affect each individual differently. While some may feel high, others would feel low. In one study, they found that youth who start smoking as early as 16 often find themselves having poor reaction time, bad memory and as well as a shorter attention span (Jacobus & Tapert, 2014), which contradicts the popular belief mentioned earlier that Sativa allows for more focus. Jacobus’ and Tapert’s article (2014) also mentions how the use of sativa can often bring out or enhance underlying medical conditions, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This raises the question of how brain development is affected by using Sativa as an adolescent vs. an adult. The different strains of marijuana are usually introduced to youth and adolescents in their early teens, which is a time of exploration. It is also a time when they are more perceptible to peer pressure. The need to fit in and a fear of missing out are driving factors that may lead youth to start smoking. This means that many adolescents initially use marijuana without knowing its long-term effects. As marijuana becomes more normalized, it is important to start educating our youth on it from an earlier age. This education would allow them to make more informed, safe, self-directed decisions.

Discussed thus far are the reasons and effects of Sativa from a recreational use point of view. However, in many cases, it is used as a medical treatment for youth. Prescription Sativa is

known to help with depression, headaches, nausea, and loss of appetite (McPartland, 2015). Using sativa for medically treating depression gives insight into why adolescents recreationally consume it. Adolescents undergo many life and identity changes and are still learning to navigate it all. They use Sativa to escape their reality, even for a limited time. This outlet also shows how youth would instead turn to drugs than seek help from others. There are circumstances that lead to this decision but looking at it from an educator’s point-of-view, it is important to create a safe space within schools which would allow for alternate ways of dealing with the stresses of adolescence.

One famous movie that introduces youth to the common effects of Sativa is The Breakfast Club. Not only does the breakfast club explicitly show a scene where an individual is high off of Sativa, but the movie also looks at many other struggles and hardships that youth go through in their teenage years. Attached on the following page are two recent videos catered to youths on the effects of weed, along with two journal articles that discuss the science behind the different types of marijuana.

References and Additional Sources

Jacobus, J., & Tapert, S. F. (2014). Effects of cannabis on the adolescent brain. Current

pharmaceutical design, 20(13), 2186–2193. https://doi.org/10.2174/13816128113199990426 McPartland J. M. (2018). Cannabis Systematics at the Levels of Family, Genus, and Species. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 3(1), 203–212. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2018.0039 Movie: The Breakfast Club

Video: Try Guys Extremely Stoned Trivia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKiFkwsVIWA Video: The Try Guys Test High Driving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cciw0MyXMyI