Cannabis in the classroom: Educators prepare for legalization

Legalization of recreational marijuana is just days away, and although it won't be legal for minors to consume or possess cannabis, some educators are opening up dialogue on the drug.

Vancouver Coastal Health and the Vancouver School Board are helping prepare youth, parents and teachers with workshops and resources through their drug-prevention program called Supporting and Connecting Youth.

"We see [youth] as a resource, not a problem, and we try to generate good healthy discussion," said Art Steinmann, manager of substance use and health promotion at the VSB.

Understanding cannabis use

Several workshops will be held in the weeks following legalization to bring youth and adults together to talk about reasons for cannabis use, whether it be "anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma, or just boredom and curiosity."

"Our young people are very smart and they're very capable. We want to build that up and continue to give them options and choices and find other ways … to cope," Steinmann said.

"There's more healthy ways to sort some of that out than turning to cannabis."

He and many other educators are looking forward to an expected growth in the study of cannabis following legalization, and Steinmann says he has seen teachers become increasingly keen to incorporate learning, discussion and research into the classroom.

"Teachers are very alert to this … and we're helping them to move from, 'Let's try to catch kids smoking weed' and deal with it in a punitive way to more … proactive," Steinmann told The Early Edition's Stephen Quinn.

Steinmann said as the social landscape changes, educators are promoting the fact that it's acceptable not to use cannabis, despite it being more accessible.

"Young people will grow up in an environment where there's a government-run cannabis store … next to the liquor store," he said.

"I think they will get the picture and we need to help adults and parents find ways to talk about this that are helpful as well."

With files from The Early Edition

To hear the full interview listen to media below:

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