• Created by treatment and health promotion professionals
• Youth-driven Youth-delivered
• Tested and evaluated in 7 high schools in urban and rural settings

In 2005, the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey reported that 45% of students in Grade 12 had used marijuana in the past year. Of these users, 1/3 were using regularly (monthly or weekly) and 10% were identifying problems with their use such as difficulty in cutting back. OSDUS also indicated differences in regions with Toronto experiencing much less use than rural regions like Grey Bruce.

In the same year, treatment centers reported that cannabis was, for youth, the number one problem for entering a treatment program.

Based on these statistics, organizations with mandates for drug education and the prevention of drug-related problems and youth treatment centers with mandates for outreach into schools developed a pilot project with youth advisors from both the Toronto area and the Grey-Bruce area to identify problematic marijuana use and ways to reduce these problems. Best practice guidelines were followed for the development of the activities and resources.

Whats With Weed is a program to identify what youth believe problematic marijuana use is, and what can be effective in reducing these problems including local youth treatment. This information is then passed on to younger students through a peer-education model and school and community supports are promoted. A Stages of Change model is used to pinpoint effective supports for change.

The secondary school delivery model was developed and tested with youth in collaboration with sector partners in prevention, education and treatment in two regions of Ontario.

There are seven activities associated with this program.

• Staff Meeting
• Parent Council Meeting
• Senior Recruitment Assembly
• Training Day With Peer Educators
• Review and practice time for peer educators
• Junior Assembly for Younger Students
• Workshop for Younger Students Delivered by Peer Educators

Resources and templates have been developed for each of these activities.. As well, there are PowerPoint presentations for each of the recruitment assembly, training day and the peer educator review sessions. Finally, there is a DVD presentation of current and past youth users, who speak about why and how they changed their behaviour to reduce their problems.

The program supports a harm reduction approach. While it does include and support abstinence in the range of strategies, it does not demand it. Instead the program supports the options for change and follows a Stages of Change model to encourage users to move from pre-contemplation (Uh, no problems) to action to avoid, reduce or prevent problematic marijuana use.

Elements of the program and the resources that accompany it can be used separately or all together.

The Whats with Weed Kit

The What's With Weed partnership has created a Kit for Teachers, Counsellors, or Youth Program Coordinators that can be ordered through Parent Action on Drugs. The Kit contains:

• The Program Coordinator's Guide which takes you, step-by-step, through a process of informing, recruiting and training senior students, and facilitating the peer delivered workshops for junior groups. It includes activities, explanations, handouts and describes required resources.
• An introductory DVD with a series of interviews between a Youth Counsellor and five marijuana users or former users. The DVD also introduces the Stages of Change model and links it with strategies that worked for these users in reducing their risks and problems.
• A CD with PowerPoint presentations for working with senior students in the recruitment process and peer leaders in the training and review process.
• A sample of a youth resource - the What's With Weed Matchbook - which can be ordered separately in bulk through PAD.
• A youth-developed booklet on background information on marijuana and key educational challenges for youth - which we invite you to copy for the youth in your groups.
• A sample of a parent resource - the Facts Postcard - also available through PAD.

Where to go for More Information

For more information about the Kit, Matchbooks or Facts Postcard or to find out more about marijuana use and the Stages of Change call 1-877-265-9279 (Ontario toll-free number) or 416 395-4970 (if in Toronto or outside Ontario)

^{Production of this resource has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada.
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.}

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