Back when I was in high school, there was a stick that was used to keep the cafeteria door from locking shut so that students could go across the street to the park and smoke weed. But now thanks to weed pens and edibles, students can discreetly indulge in school. Now couple that with much easier access and a mental health crisis following the pandemic—more and more students are smoking—and at much younger ages. A story by Chalkbeat takes a look at cannabis use by NYC public school students.
According to the publication, reports of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia are up 8% so far this school year but the number of Department of Education substance abuse counselors have been cut in half since 2006. Chalkbeat also found that many teens turn to weed for ‘anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.’ Read more here.
