Trying to get support for my son has been incredibly difficult. There are some logistical issues for us; we live in a small rural town around 2 hours from the city and there is a lack of support services in our area. So, I had expected to face some challenges in accessing suitable support services for him. However, I was not prepared for the responses we received from our local health professionals when we finally managed to convince my son to seek support.

My husband went along with my son to his first GP appointment around a year ago. He spoke to the doctor about his daily cannabis use, the alcohol and cocaine binges and his mental health which had been poor for some time. My husband reported back to me that the doctor was completely disinterested and looked at them as if to ask ‘why are you telling me?’. He referred my young adult child to a local drug support worker and that was that.

I felt disappointed the GP had not further explored his mental health and perhaps considered how this may have been interacting with his increasing substance abuse. But he had referred him for some support so I waited and hoped that the substance use support worker might be able to help.

After many weeks, the worker got in touch and arranged to meet my son. Off he went to meet him for a coffee in the local area; when he returned he shared with me that the worker was a nice guy, and that he shared he wasn’t really worried about his drug use, after all, it’s only Weed. And that was that.

it’s only Weed.

As time has gone past, I’ve become more and more incensed by this sentiment. There is a very popular view point out there that Weed is a safe drug to use – not only safe, but actually good. That it chills people out and they use it to support their mental health. Before my son’s issues, I had no axe to grind with Weed. Now I’ve witnessed first hand what Weed can do to an adolescent brain.

It’s NOT only Weed.