HOUSTON – Over the weekend, a 15-year-old boy was arrested after investigators said he shot his mother and sister in north Houston while high on edibles.
FULL STORY: 15-year-old boy on edibles accused of shooting mother, sister in north Houston
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Lt. Horelica with the Houston PD said they were called to an apartment on Greens Road and Seminar Drive around 11 p.m. Saturday when an unidentified 15-year-old called 911 threatening to shoot himself or someone else.
“When they arrived, they found out that the 15-year-old suspect had just eaten a bunch of edibles and I guess had a bad reaction to them,” Lt. Horelica said.
Officers also said they found the boy’s mother and 17-year-old sister had been shot several times. In light of this report, KPRC 2′s Amy Davis spoke with Dr. Meagan Houston on KPRC 2+ Now at 7 a.m. to get her insight on the impact edibles have on mental health.
SEE ALSO: Houston dad arrested for giving 9-year-old daughter THC chocolate
See the video above for the entire conversation or read their transcribed interview below:
Amy Davis (A.D.): When we talk about edibles, sort of what we mean? I mean, it could be anything. It could be gummies. It could be something you get to a gas station. Could you just discuss that for a moment?
Dr. Meagan Houston (M.H.): Yeah, absolutely. You know what other what people really don’t realize about edibles is that they are far more unpredictable than other forms of cannabis, especially if you’re using unregulated edibles. It’s like taking medicine without knowing the dose. And there’s no telling where he acquired these from. Somebody made them. We don’t know how much THC is in there. Other substances might be mixed in. A friend could have given them to him, but when THC is eaten rather than smoked, it’s processed differently in our bodies. And it does create a stronger and longer-lasting effect. So, edibles are more powerful than people give them credit for.
A.D.: Yeah. I mean, and it’s almost like you see these things everywhere. I think a lot of people like myself may be confused about what’s legal or where am I buying it, or, if they’re selling in a gas station, it can’t be that bad. I mean, certainly a 15-year-old is not supposed to be able to buy these over the counter, right?
M.H.: No, they shouldn’t be able to buy them over the counter. And if they are even buying them, you know, they’re using the Delta Nine and other types of THC that they are saying are legal, but they really do affect teenagers very differently because their brains are still developing until around the age of 25. So, the THC has a very powerful and potent effect on certain areas of the brain like that control decision-making, an impulse control, especially with teenagers, that makes them more vulnerable to some of the scarier impacts of THC, like paranoia or hallucinations. Hearing things and seeing things, although quite possible. So no, a 15-year-old should never have access to edibles.
A.D.: Yeah, I mean interesting. I mean, those are that’s really important and interesting to note the difference that it can have on teenagers versus adults because we don’t normally think of marijuana or THC as a drug that maybe makes you violent or makes you do a, you know, commit a crazy crime, right? For adults.
M.H.: Typically, it doesn’t. But everybody is different. And, you know, everybody’s brain chemistry is different. And some people may have underlying mental health vulnerabilities they don’t even know about. And when high doses of THC hit those vulnerable points, it can lead to unpredictable behavior, including paranoid thoughts and aggressive actions. You just do not know again what the effects could be because edibles are unpredictable. The onset is delayed. It could take 30 minutes to two hours before you feel the effects of edibles. And a lot of times what happens with teenagers is they take too much. They take too many edibles because they’re expecting an immediate effect, and it doesn’t work that way. So sometimes they’re getting way too much. And again, those things are going to cause them to have adverse reactions.
A.D.: Yeah, I mean, it really is scary. I mean, that it would exacerbate some of those issues or maybe some mental health issues underlying that a teen is not even aware of. Are you seeing much of this or problems with these types of drugs, these edibles in your practice?
M.H.: I do see I see edible use. I’m seeing mushroom use. Definitely alcohol use. I haven’t seen a lot of kids have psychotic reactions, but they still have bad reactions to these substances. It’s still impacting their lives, whether it’s affecting their academic functioning, how they’re showing up at home. They may be a little bit more aggressive with their appearance. It’s impacting their mood and how they show up and their interpersonal life.
A.D.: Yeah, I mean, definitely it sounds like an important conversation that parents should have with their pre-teens and teenagers since these products are so readily available everywhere.
M.H.: Absolutely. I mean, parents should be talking to their kids about the dangerousness of edibles, again, because they look like candy. They’re in cookies, they’re in cakes and pies. And so, it seems like it’s harmless, but it’s still an illicit substance. And so, absolutely, parents should be having candid conversations about the impacts of, of edibles and other substances where they know their child is exposed to them or could possibly be exposed.
A.D.: Yeah. And any resources that are available that you might want to suggest that parents might reach out to if they think that they have a teenager or a young adult who might have a drug problem related to edibles or any other type of drug.
M.H.: Absolutely. We have several immediate resources here in Houston for families. So, the Council on Recovery Houston offers adolescent-specific programs, and so does the Memorial Hermann Prevention and Recovery Center. They also have a dedicated teen program. You want to make sure that when you’re looking for help for your teenager, that the provider specializes in working with adolescents because their needs are going to be very different. And many of these providers also now offer in-person and telehealth options to make these services a little bit more accessible. And of course, we can always call the Harris Center, which provides 24/7 support if we have a crisis type of situation.
A.D.: All right, Dr. Meagan Houston, thank you so much for your time this morning. We appreciate it.
M.H.: Thank you so much.
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