It wasn’t until they worked with their high school counselor, who identified as a gay man, that their mental health began to improve.
Another place where Reyes and other LGBTQ youth have found other people with similar experiences is Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center, a hub for LGBTQ individuals.
“This makes perfect sense to me,” Reyes says, considering all of the stressors that young LGBTQ people experience.
Using marijuana is a way to cope with that.” Given these exclusions, LGBTQ youth look for ways to cope, even if the strategy is harmful to their health.
Reyes, as a member of Gay City’s YAC, is involved in an assessment of LGBTQ youth cannabis use in King County, in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Youth Marijuana Prevention and Education Program and Matt Harnpadoungsataya, a graduate student at the University of Washington.
These conversations have revealed how youth are introduced to cannabis, the stressors they face, their perceptions of people who use cannabis, and what supports they need.
Early findings from the YAC’s assessment suggest that upstream factors, particularly those that help develop healthy coping skills, may be key to preventing cannabis use.
However, strategies that are further upstream are likely to have an even greater impact on whether an LGBTQ individual copes with cannabis.
Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center – Central hub for LGBTQ individuals seeking affirming and responsive resources, wellness, and community.