Weed Delivery Apps. What's Next? Implications for Counseling African American Adolescents With Cannabis Use Disorder

I just watched a program on MSNBC where they discussed new entrepreneurs who are hoping to make a fortune since California legalized recreational use of marijuana. One person developed a marijuana delivery APP. One of the delivery drivers was a man who quit his job as a delivery person for UPS believing he could make more money delivering marijuana. Another entrepreneur opened a weed restaurant where marijuana is used as a main ingredient in each recipe. The MSNBC host visited a marijuana spa and listened to a customer say she enjoyed "the sensation" of being massaged by an oil which contained marijuana.

In the book the Culture of Addiction and the Culture of Recovery, historian William White, MA describes how drugs go through a cycle from Socially Celebrated (the most approval by society, an example would be expensive alcohol), Socially Tolerated (use is accepted under certain circumstances, an example would be Medical Marijuana), and Socially Prohibited (use of these drugs carry the most stigma and legal consequences, examples include heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines). In the book White points out that in the early 1900's heroin was a socially celebrated drug which dropped to prohibited status as the children of the affluent were dying of overdose deaths (notice how history has repeated itself today). Cigarettes shifted from celebrated to tolerated as it was linked to cancer. Recreational use of marijuana is shifting from a prohibited drug to a celebrated drug as more and more states move towards legalization. What impact will this increased status have on adolescent marijuana use nationwide?

For adolescent African Americans the number one drug of choice is marijuana. In groups I lead they routinely rationalize their use with statements such as, "Marijuana is not addictive. God produced it and everything God produces is good. How could it be bad for you, it grows naturally in the ground? How could it be bad for you? It’s legal?"

My response to these youth has been to introduce science. I tell them that research indicated that 90% of people who drink alcohol or use other drugs do so without becoming addicted to the drug. Approximately 10% of users of any drug including marijuana develop addiction. I tell them that those most vulnerable to addiction are individuals with: family histories of addiction; early age of first use; have histories of childhood trauma etc. (100% of teens I work with). We also discuss the research which describes the link between early marijuana use, psychosis and learning challenges. This info is always received well. I encourage you the reader to think about how you will respond when teens ask you, "How can marijuana be addicting? It’s legal." 

Hope! A Necessary Recovery Ingredient for African Americans

This morning I read that Hip Hop Mogul Sean "Ditty" Combs is interested in buying the Carolina Panthers NFL Football Team and NBA Superstar Stephen Curry tweeted that he wanted in as a partial owner. Ditty said that he would hire quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whom many believe has not been offered a contract to play quarterback in the NFL because he spoke out against police brutality directed towards African Americans (click here to read the blog post, Don't Talk: Implications for Counseling African Americans With Substance Use Disorders).

When I read the story this morning I felt an immediate sense of hope. In my lifetime I have witnessed African Americans go from barely owning anything to being in position to own a professional football teams just as Michael Jordan owns an NBA Basketball team and Irving "Magic" Johnson is part owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team.

This story brings to mind an important ingredient of recovery for African American's, hope! African American seeking recovery, especially the urban poor, face an existential concern, "Even if I stop using drugs, how do I succeed in a world that does not appear to be made for me?" The other inspiring aspect of the story is that Stephen Curry is willing to partner with Ditty and Ditty is willing to hire Colin Kaepernick. This is a story of African American men being willing to work together and look out for each other.

During one of the Tavis Smiley’s think tanks, African American Sociologist from Harvard University shared research that revealed that African Americans have the highest church attendance on Sundays and experience the most isolation on Monday, compared with other cultural groups. In the study participants were asked, "if you were in a crisis, how many people could you rely on to help you?" African Americans listed the fewest number of people whom they could rely on in a crisis. Just as hope is an important need in recovery, so is community.

For Addictions counselors reading this blog post, there are two questions for you. "What are you doing to instill hope in recovery in African American Clients? Specifically clients who are economically poor. What are you doing to help break isolation and help clients experience a sense of community in recovery?"

Education As Substance Abuse Prevention and a Recovery Tool for African Americans

In the 1960's activist, religious and civil rights leader Malcolm X stated, “When you live in a poor neighborhood, you are living in an area where you have poor schools. When you have poor schools you have poor teachers. When you have poor teachers, you get a poor education, you can only work in a poor- paying job. And that poor-paying job enables you to again live in a poor neighborhood. It’s a very vicious cycle."

Malcolm echoed the sentiment of African American Elders who made the migration from the Southern States to the Northern states In search of occupational opportunities and to escape Jim Crow Laws and lynchings in the south. It is estimated that between 1916 to 1970, 6 million African Americans migrated north and secured work in the steel mills, railroads, meat packing and auto industries. The message that these elders/pioneers delivered to young African American children and adolescents who were born in the North is that education is the key to freedom. Many of these elders had parents and grandparents who during slavery were not allowed to attend school or learn to read. A slave owner’s wife was teaching Frederick Douglass to read when Douglass was enslaved. The slave owner told his wife, “If you teach him to read, it will be impossible to keep him a slave.” It was common for Black parents of the Great Migration to tell their children, “No matter how sick you are, you have to go to school.”

At the time of this writing most of the jobs African Americans secured during the Great Migration have either disappeared or have been shipped abroad. Studies indicate that African Americans have twice the unemployment rate as Whites and are still lagging behind on standardized test scores, which can determine the quality of your education. Many are also miseducated in elementary schools increasing the risks of dropping out of high school, drug use, drug selling (for income) drug related arrests felony arrests which makes it even more difficult to qualify for financial Aid for college and secure employment. Thus for many, a feeling of hopelessness can set in leading to a return to drug use  and in some instances drug selling (for income) and a return to prison. To quote Malcolm X, “A very vicious cycle.” Education is also important for African Americans seeking addictions recovery. According to Dr. William Cloud, as educational recovery capital increases, recovery rates also increase.

There is good news. Urban Prep High School, located on the South Side of Chicago has a 100% African American Male Graduation rate and 100% of these young men have gone on to college, over the course of the past decade. Nearly 90% of African Americans who attend North Lawndale Prep High school on the West Side of Chicago go on to College. The average income in the communities where these two schools are located are beneath the poverty line. These schools prove that when a school has a great mission, (Urban Prep expects every student to go to college and the students recite a daily pledge that they plan to go to college) and dedicated faculty who are able to motivate students, all things are possible!

During the Great Migration the manufacturing industry was the largest employer of African Americans. Today, the future of employment in America is STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). These jobs require a good education. The elders were right. Education is a key to success. In spite of the struggles described in this blog post, the great majority of African Americans are high school graduates. Many have also graduated from the finest colleges in the nation and the majority are middle class economically.

Don't Talk: Implications For Counseling African Americans With Substance Use Disorders

In the book, It Will Never Happen To Me,  author Claudia Black, PhD outlines the three unwritten rules children of alcoholic parents must follow to protect the secrets related to alcoholism in the family. The unwritten rules are, Don't Talk, Don't Trust, Don't Feel. This blog post describes historical and current attempts to pressure African Americans to honor the Don't Talk rule and offers implications for addictions counseling with African Americans with Substance Use Disorders.

In the past several years the nation has witnessed numerous unarmed African Americans be shot and killed by police officers and in almost every instance the officer has been acquitted. This played a role in San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to take a knee during the singing of the National Anthem prior to his NFL Football games. Colin stated, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." The price he has paid for talking is that none of the 32 NFL Teams will sign him to a contract, even as a third string quarterback. This is in spite of the fact that he was a starting quarter back for much of his career and and led his team to the NFC Championship and to a Super Bowl. Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback of all times said that Colin Kaepernick is good enough to be on an NFL roster.

African Americans receiving consequences for breaking the Don't Talk rules goes back a long time. W.E.B. Dubois, the first African American to receive a PH,D from Harvard University (1895) was labeled a communist and Exiled to Ghana in West African for speaking against oppression. The multi-talented Paul Robeson (Pro Athlete, Opera Singer, Actor, Orator and Activist) was exiled to Russia for speaking out against racism. The first African American Heavy Weight boxing Champion, the outspoken Jack Johnson was forced to throw a fight, DR Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were wire tapped by the FBI as was activist and former Black Panther Angela Davis. Scores of African Americans have been arrested for talking. Dr King and Civil Rights Leader Medgar Evers paid the ultimate price. They were assassinated. There is evidence that even in jest African Americans can pay a price for talking. Recently, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor did a 4 city tour to promote their prize fight which grossed the largest salaries in history for one fight. It is estimated that FloydMayweather made 100 million Dollars and his opponent Conor McGregor maid 30 million dollars. A big part of the economic success of this fight is the fact that both men boast and brag about their greatness as fighters. Floyd, who is African American was booed in each city. In Summary, if you break the Don't talk rule you can be labeled a communist or un-American, arrested, exiled,fired, wire tapped by the FBI, assassinated or booed.

Singer Billie Holiday made a song called, "Strange Fruit." This song was about Black men who were lynched in the South and could be seen handing from trees. The Head of The Federal Bureau of Narcotics (The organization later became the FBI) felt that Billie Holiday was dangerous for making this song. Hearing that Billie Holiday was addicted to heroin, there was a war on drugs targeted at Billie Holiday for talking. Years later we learned that as a 10 year old girl Billie Holiday was sexually assaulted by an adult male and when she told what happened to her she was arrested and forced to live in solitary confinement for a year. This trauma triggered her addiction to alcohol and heroin. She died of Cirrhosis of the liver at age 33.

African Americans entering addictions treatment who are aware of the current and historical consequences of breaking the Don't Talk rule may be hesitant to speak their truth, discuss their oppression and the anger it produces for fear of consequences. It is important for addictions counselors to be aware of this history and not send signals directly or indirectly to African American Clients that it is not OK to talk. Your comfort level when he or she discusses smaller events which impact him or her and go a long way to convincing the client that it is OK to talk and share experiences with you.

How Long Do Black Men Live? Substance Use As An Existential Factor for African Americans

A few years ago I worked in a residential program for adolescents and emerging adults in Chicago, Illinois. The program has a no-drug use policy. Violation of this rule leads to consequences. One of my clients returned back to program " smelling like weed " (marijuana). He told me, " I know I smelled like weed so I went to the store, bought some Febreze and sprayed it all over my clothes. " I asked him, " What did you smell like then? " He stated, " weed and Febreze. " He was told by program staff that for violating the no substance use policy he will lose weekend home pass privileges the following Friday.

During our session he stated, "I'm going on pass anyway! Even if it means I will get kicked out of here and violate my court ordered probation. The staff does not understand. I turn 21 on Friday. A number of my friends were murdered and never lived to see their 21st birthday. I did not smoke weed on pass. I knew curfew at the program was 10 PM. I weighed  my options to get back to the program. I could have called Uber, but I don't have a credit card. I could have waited for the bus, but 3 of my friends were shot on the bus stop and cabs don't run in my neighborhood. As you know,  my neighborhood is so dangerous, they call it Chi-Raq (because of the high homicide rate in Chicago attributed to gang rivalries the cities murder rate has been compared to the U.S. war in Iraq). The best option I had was to get a ride from my friends. They were smoking weed in the car as they drove me back to the program. I'm angry!"

Many of the youth whom I work with become less effective problem solvers when angry. I helped him figure out a negotiation compromise, so that he would not violate his probation on his birthday. Instead of going home on pass he successfully negotiated a trip to downtown Chicago where he shopped and went to dinner. As the session ended, I asked him a closing question. "How long do most Black Men live?  " He stated, "Most Black men don't live to see their 21st birthday." I have asked this question periodically throughout the years to adolescent and emerging adult African American males and their answers have always been similar. When I ask for proof they usually say, "Several of my friends have been killed and I watch the news at night." This is an existential concern, which lead some the young men I work with to conclude: "Why should I stop getting high? Why should I finish school? Why should I leave the gang? I'll be dead soon anyway."

During my next session with the young man who negotiated a downtown pass, I shared with him City of Chicago and Illinois Department of Public Health statistics in order to dispel the myth that most Black men don't live to see their 21st birthday. Here is the data I shared: Chicago averages 500 murders per year, with a 200 murder increase this year. There are 40,000 annual births in the city of Chicago and  2.7 million residents live in the city. When you add the residents of the surrounding suburbs the number of residents increases to 9 million. Over the course of the past 20 years 112 people in his neighborhood (Chi-Raq) have been murdered. Their are 73 thousand people who reside in his neighborhood.  I showed him public health statistics which revealed that the life expectancy of Black males living in Chicago is age 70 not 21.

The young man was silent for a moment. Then he stated, "This means I can live! I'll have to take a little time to think about this. This means I have to get serious about my life."  For those of you working with young African American males diagnosed with Substance Abuse or Substance Use Disorders may need to address this existential concern in treatment. Why should I stop getting high, when I'll be dead soon anyway?

Reading As A Recovery Tool for African Americans

Today my wife and I visited The American Writers Museum. Located in Downtown Chicago This is the first museum of its kind. Featured were the works of Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and Frost. Prominently featured were also the works of great, best selling African American writers including: Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), Sojourner Truth (1797-1883), Frederick Douglass (1818-1891), Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960), Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000), Alex Haley (1921-1992), James Baldwin (1924-1987), and Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965).

Viewing the works of prominent African American writers dispels the myth that, " if you want to hide anything from an African American, put it between the pages of a book. " Reading has always been an important recovery tool for African Americans with Substance Use Disorders. Consider the story of Benneth Lee, who went from gang leader, and heroin addict to the Addictions Counselor of the year. According to Benneth, " I was on death row for the one crime I did not commit. They placed me in solitary confinement. This is the place where people tend to lose their mind. Someone left a book in the cell. To deal with boredom and to stay sane, I picked up the book. I decided I would toss the book  in the air and what ever page it landed on is where I would start reading. The book was titled, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The book landed on the page where Malcolm was in prison and could not read. The book mentioned that Malcolm learned to read in prison, reading the dictionary from cover to cover. At that time I could barely read. I got access to a dictionary and learned to read. Once I learned to read, I was no longer a prisoner, I was an inmate. Reading freed me!

To learn more about biblio-therapy as a recovery tool for African Americans with substance use disorders, click here.