When You Think She Is Using Cannabis

Where to start

• Ask how often she uses it, who with, and what it does for her.
• If she uses it to cope, seems low for more than a fortnight or is dropping out, see your GP.
• Heavy users often get cravings and find it hard to stop. Cannabis is a Class B drug: having it is illegal, and sharing it counts as supplying, which is punished more severely. Police can tell the parents of anyone under 18 found with it.
• If she seems to see or hear things that aren’t there, or to believe things that can’t be true, or talks about hurting herself or not wanting to be alive, act that day: ask the surgery for an urgent appointment, and if it is closed, use the crisis line. England, Scotland and Wales: call 111 and choose the mental-health option. Northern Ireland: call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000. Help is free, confidential and available at any hour. Whoever answers may share information to arrange care or keep someone safe.
• If she is being asked to hold or sell drugs, or has money, a phone or older friends you can’t explain, someone may be exploiting her, and exploited children are victims first. Don’t confront the people involved yourself. Act that day: a national child protection helpline will talk it through with you and tell you whether it needs to go further. NSPCC, 0808 800 5000. Email help@nspcc.org.uk. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm by phone; email 11am-4pm, seven days a week. An email sent when the service is closed is not received. If the NSPCC service is closed and the concern cannot wait, call the police on 101. You can also contact the child’s local out-of-hours children’s social care, social work or social services team. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. Help is free.

The rest of the tip, with more to try and why it works, is in the library.

It goes with

• When They Stop Talking to You. For parents whose teenager hardly talks to them any more.
• Anxiety, by Age. For parents whose child’s worry has started to make decisions for her, with what helps at each age and when to ask for help.

The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.

Free on this subject

• Difficult conversations. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
• General mental health. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.