Which sources of information on cannabis are suitable for young people?

Reliable information about cannabis for young people comes from authorities, specialist services and counselling offers that name their sources and do not advertise. Examples are cannabispraevention.de and drugcom.de from the BIÖG, or the website of the Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen (DHS). The channels young people use change quickly. Therefore ask your class or school social work, and do not make assumptions. Anyone who knows how young people use media chooses materials more suitably.

How do you recognise reliable information?

Serious offers make clear who stands behind them and name their sources. An imprint, a clear sponsor and a recognisable date are first indications. Also check whether statements are backed up. A post that works with a figure or a study result should refer to the original source. If such a reference is missing, caution is advised. A site that only promises success does not count as an information source.

• Who runs the site, and is that openly stated?
• Are there sources, and do they lead to authorities or studies?
• Can you see when the article was written?
• Are risks named, or does everything sound like an advantage?

Laws change. For legal questions, check whether a post reflects the current state of the Consumer Cannabis Act (KCanG). The authoritative text is the law itself, which you can read on gesetze-im-internet.de. For individual questions, a lawyer can advise.

Why advertising is a warning sign

Under section 6 KCanG, advertising and any form of sponsorship for cannabis and for a cannabis association (Anbauvereinigung) are prohibited. Anyone who finds content on platforms that advertises cannabis therefore sees something the law does not permit. Such content is advertising, and it does not count as neutral information even if it seems factual. Report it on the respective platform, and talk with the class about why advertising for cannabis is banned.

Which offers can you recommend?

The prevention portal cannabispraevention.de provides information on cannabis for young people and parents. drugcom.de is also one of the BIÖG's offers and, with background knowledge, self-tests and counselling, addresses those who are interested. For information from Switzerland, feel-ok.ch offers a site for young people. There, a subpage on mixed use says that the effects of individual drugs can reinforce each other. For legal questions in Germany, the Consumer Cannabis Act applies. Swiss law does not.

What about the gateway-drug myth?

A classic on the school yard is the claim that cannabis is a gateway drug. Drugcom.de regards this simple thesis as disproved today. In almost all cases, tobacco smoking comes before the first cannabis use. Entry into drugs, according to the text, cannot be reduced to a single substance. If you discuss this with the class, you take the myth apart without playing cannabis down. A twin study reported by drugcom found a 7.4-fold higher probability of later party drug use with early cannabis use. Whether cannabis is the cause remains open, because peer groups were not included. More on this in the article Is cannabis a gateway drug?.

How do you put media literacy into practice in lessons?

Use materials that pose questions and do not prescribe answers. Have pupils compare two sources and justify the differences. A short self-test from a reliable source can serve as a starting point. The cannabis check from drugcom.de asks about use over the last 12 months, including loss of control. Discuss the results with the class, ideally together, without exposing individuals. More on online tests is in the article What online self-assessment tests are there? Materials for comparison are presented in the article Which material suits lessons?

Which myths should young people know?

Besides the gateway-drug myth, other claims circulate online that are easy to pass on. One is that cannabis does not cause dependence. On this, cannabispraevention.de says that roughly one in eight people who use cannabis become dependent. Sucht Schweiz describes that psychological dependence shows itself above all in a strong craving to use cannabis. These statements describe a real risk without dramatising.

A second claim concerns quantity. It is often said that only those who use a lot have a problem. Drugcom.de, by contrast, states that quantity and frequency do not play a decisive role in the question of dependence. According to the text, what matters above all are the negative consequences that use has already caused. Problematic use usually begins earlier than dependence.

The cannabis check from drugcom.de asks about use over the last 12 months. According to drugcom.de, a dependence is present if at least two criteria apply within 12 months. This rule can be worked with well in class, without exposing individual pupils.

If pupils ask questions you cannot answer, that is no failure on your part. Say openly that you will look it up, and provide the answer at the next appointment. This shows how to work with sources.

How can posts be evaluated together?

A simple method suits posts from social media, video portals and messengers. For each post, ask three questions: who is speaking, and what interest might lie behind it? Which source is named, and can it be checked? Is a product, a brand or an event being advertised? The answers structure the discussion. Record them on a poster and use them as the basis for discussion.

Afterwards it is worth comparing with an authority or specialist service. If a post gives figures, look for the original source. If you find none, that is a sign which you can name openly in class. In this way young people learn to assess information themselves and to question it. This applies to every source, including those you recommend yourself.

What you can do next

• Ask your class which channels and offers they use.
• Look at materials yourself before using them, and check the sources and date.
• Discuss advertising for cannabis as a breach of the advertising ban in section 6 KCanG.
• Refer to the rules on cannabis advertising when pupils show posts.
• Get in touch with the state office or a counselling service if questions go beyond the materials.