D573 Understanding Substance Abuse and Addiction Task 2: Addressing Cannabis Use Disorder in Adolescents 2026 NEW UPDATE VERSION Western Governors University
D573 Task 2
A. Cannabis Use Disorder B. Adolescents 1. Three special considerations for adolescents would be the neurodevelopment within adolescents. It makes them more vulnerable to substance effects. It also increased the likelihood of long-term patterns of problematic use (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2024). The second would be confidentiality. Clinicians must respect an adolescent’s privacy while balancing the legal and ethical parental involvement. Finally, adolescents are deeply influenced by their friends and family, or other peers, which makes these systems essential for treatment. 2. Substance abuse in adolescents receives high peer influence, especially if it is going on in the friend group. Secondly, existing mental health problems increase the risk of developing a cannabis abuse