1. Marijuana and Decision Making
Cycles
RCMP Criminology Interns
Marijuana and Decision Making
Note: See Cycles Lesson Plan/Cards for greater detail and objectives.
All presentations require a projector and speakers.
Activity #1
Introduction:
Name
Occupation- What you hope to do in life
Other personal info- RCMP Youth Camp Cadet graduate

2. Why are we here? To raise awareness about substance use and abuse.
To prepare you for the challenges you may face.
To give you some useful tools for making informed decisions.
To provide a non-judgmental environment for learning
Use this as an opportunity to connect with the students.
Clarify that you are here because you care.
Eg: “We are volunteers, we are not forced to be here, we are here because we want to be. We are here because we care about your lives and your futures.”

3. What do you know about marijuana?
LET’S DISCUSS…
What do you know about marijuana?

4. Show video cycles

5. Consequences of using Reasons why Reasons why not Dealing with Stress
Social Acceptance
Sleep Aid
Relaxation
Medical Use
Hurts relationships
Loss of Job
Poor school & athletic performance
Memory loss
Affects brain development
Social Isolation
Lack of motivation
Risk of mental illness & addiction
Exposure to other drugs
Reduced potential
Why could Olin regulate his usage, while Lisa could not?
Activity #3
Start by asking what the students thought of the film.
Explain that you will be discussing the various consequences of marijuana use. Start with the positive consequences of using.
Note: If class does not give much input, start asking questions (What effect did the usage of marijuana have in Olan’s or Lisa’s lives? How did the usage change relationships as well as the characters?)
After a few answers have been given, advance the power point and then repeat the process with negative. (See lesson plan for expanded activity overview).

6. Benefits of not using Keeping your job More disposable income
Better Health
Better Grades
Healthy Family
More Connected to the World
Brain Develops Properly
Better Performance in Sports
Healthier Relationships
Activity #3 Continued
Repeat the previous process with the positive consequences of not using.
Use this as an opportunity to reinforces the benefits of not using.
Elaborate on several points and use them to dispel fallacies of the positive consequences of using.
Eg. Developing healthier relationships with friends instead of basing friendships off of substance use-based social acceptance.

7. 25 Brain development When does your brain finish developing?
Marijuana use inhibits brain development and can trigger mental illness.
Activity #4
Click to reveal the question on brain development slide.
Ask: Students if they know when their brains fully develop (25).
Discuss how marijuana affects brain development by altering how the brain forges connections throughout adolescence and into early adulthood.
Ask students if they want their brains to fully develop? Discuss how research is showing marijuana can trigger mental illness in people that are genetically pre-disposed.
Ask the students if any of them are aware if they are at risk and if any of them want to take such a risk. Some mental illnesses are not reversible.

8. What about occasional use? Only once in a while?
16 year old male with 2 years of daily use
28 year old with 10 years of occasional/weekend use
18 year old male with 3 years of using
4x per week

9. Other Health consequences
Which substance deposits more tar in the lungs when smoked, Tobacco or Marijuana?
Is marijuana natural and non-addictive?
Fentanyl & Methamphetamines
THC
Activity #4 Continued
Ask the students about the other health consequences of marijuana.
Positively reinforce correct answers and take them a step further to deepen the discussion (“Why is that a bad thing?)
Ask the students what substance deposits more tar into the lungs, marijuana or tobacco. Advance to reveal the lung picture. Connect lung damage to performance in sports and health.

10. t.r.u.e BE TRUE TO YOURSELF - Yourself about the facts Train Reflect
Understand
execute
- On the consequences +/-
- Your choices
Activity #5
Explain that T.R.U.E. is a decision making model that can be applied to both positive and negative situations.
Click to Advance the slide and walk the students through the model (T, Train yourself about the facts. R, Reflect on the consequences, both positive and negative. U, Understand the choices that are available to you. E, Execute your path to health.
Advance the slide to reveal the definitions so that class can record them.
Reiterate the definitions and elaborate for clarification.
Explain that you will demonstrate how to use T.R.U.E. with a role play. (See Cycles lesson plan for role play script. Or Design your own role play to demonstrate T.R.U.E.
- Your path towards health

11. Questions?
Activity #7
Questions/ closing, be thankful for any appreciative or constructive feedback. Be sure to clarify that questions can be about Marijuana, Cadet Camp, the movie, the facilitators, etc.
Note: Thank teacher and students for having us as a guest