Cannabis: A cognitive illusion/Cannabis: una ilusion cognitiva

• Published in: Revista colombiana de psiquiatría Vol. 46; no. 2; p. 95
• Main Authors: De la Hoz, Francisco Vasquez, Guerrero-Martelo, Manuel, Galvan, Gonzalo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Asociacion Colombiana de Psiquiatria 01.04.2017
• Subjects: Colombia
• ISSN: 0034-7450
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rcpeng.2017.05.007

Introduction: The vision of cannabis as a soft drug is due to the low risk perception that young and old people have of the drug. This perception is based on erroneous beliefs that people have about the drug. Objective: To compare the beliefs of cannabis use and consequences among adolescents with a lifetime prevalence of cannabis use and those without a lifetime prevalence of cannabis use. Method: Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study with a probability sample of 156 high school students who completed an ad-hoc questionnaire that included sociodemographic data and 22 questions about the beliefs that young people had about cannabis use and its consequences. Results: The lifetime prevalence of cannabis use was 13.5%. The prevalence group consisted mostly of males. Statistically significant differences between different groups and different beliefs were found. The group with no lifetime prevalence of cannabis use perceived higher risk as regards the damage that cannabis can cause to memory, other cognitive functions, neurons, mental health, and general health. The group with a lifetime prevalence of cannabis use perceived a lower risk as regards the use of cannabis, and think that intelligent people smoke cannabis, and that cannabis has positive effects on the brain, increasing creativity and is used to cure mental diseases. Conclusions: Those who used cannabis once in their life perceive the use of the substance as less harmful or less potential danger to health compared to those who never consumed. In fact those who consumed at some time even have beliefs that suggest positive effects in those people that consume it. Keywords: Cannabis Adolescents Beliefs Perception-risk Cognitive Introduccion: La vision del cannabis como una droga blanda responde a una baja percepcion de riesgo que jovenes y adultos tienen de la droga; esta percepcion se funda en creencias erroneas acerca de la droga. Objetivo: Comparar las creencias acerca del cannabis, su uso y sus consecuencias en adolescentes con prevalencia de vida de uso de cannabis y aquellos sin prevalencia de vida de uso de cannabis. Metodo: Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo y transversal que evaluo una muestra probabilistica de 156 estudiantes de ensebanza secundaria con un instrumento ad-hoc que incluyo datos sociodemograficos y 22 preguntas acerca de las creencias que tienen los jovenes sobre cannabis, su uso y sus consecuencias. Resultados: Se hallaron diferencias estadisticamente significativas entre los diferentes grupos y las diferentes creencias. El grupo sin prevalencia de vida de uso de cannabis percibe mayor riesgo del dano que puede ocasionar el cannabis en la memoria, otras funciones cognitivas, las neuronas, la salud mental y la salud general. El grupo de prevalencia de vida de uso de cannabis percibe menos riesgo del uso de cannabis y piensa que la gente inteligente fuma cannabis, que el cannabis tiene efectos positivos para el cerebro, que aumenta la creatividad y que se utiliza para curar enfermedades mentales. Conclusiones: Quienes consumieron cannabis alguna vez en la vida perciben el uso de la sustancia como menos nocivo o con menor potencial de peligrosidad para la salud que quienes nunca consumieron. De hecho quienes consumieron alguna vez incluso tienen creencias que sugieren efectos positivos en los seres humanos que consumen. Palabras clave: Cannabis Adolescentes Creencias Percepcion-riesgo Cognitiva