# data[].attributes.body
Vygotsky proposed that all children need to be involved in verbal interaction in order to utilise and develop innate capacities. If a mother/father is a heavy cannabis user, they may avoid the child and not verbally communicate enough for a child to develop their skills. Vygotsky suggested that learning depends on a child’s environment and any neglect or lack of attention/interaction can cause an underlining issue in later life. This theory would suggest that cannabis would cause an issue for a child if it affected their basic needs. Using cannabis may not cause an environment issue if all bills were paid and needs were met. Crowley (2017).

# data[].attributes.body
One of the key elements to child development is culture and environment. Cultural environments are how individuals develop they also influence a child’s personality and behaviours. The relationships between parents and children often depend on their surroundings and it is vital for a child’s environment to be safe and secure so that they can continue to develop their skills and development. (NCBI, 2006). If a parent is smoking cannabis they may affect the child’s environment. For example: if they are unable to pay rent, gas, food or electric then the child may struggle in these living conditions and affect their mental health and their abilities to learn.  On the flip side to this, it may not be an issue as the parent may be able to provide for their child regardless of using cannabis. (NCCP, 2018).

# data[].attributes.body
If the teenager is still in school the school nurse or teachers may notice a change in the young adult and find this concerning (GOV.UK 2014). Cannabis can cause lack of attention and according to (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018) can cause poor mental health. For a young adult/teenager to suffer with poor mental health will be causing an issue with their health and wellbeing, which could potentially raise concern for youth workers or social workers. If a school nurse notices these changes in a teenager, they may contact social services in order to help the teenager although cannabis does not always have an effect on every individual the risk is high when in the teenage years (National Health Service, 2017).

# data[].attributes.body
When looking at Banduras social learning theory it is said that “children see children do.” If a child sees a parent smoking cannabis and the parent is happier and is better at parenting when using cannabis, they may see this as a positive. If cannabis is portrayed as a positive behaviour it is more likely for the child to be influenced by this and continue the behaviour when growing up (Learning theories 2015).
Although parents may have met all their child’s needs whilst using cannabis it is not a positive behaviour for a child/young adult to imitate. This teenager may react to the drug in a different way and have a different experience of the drug. The teenager may have difficulty with thinking and problem solving, reduced memory or hallucinations if using the drug heavily. This could affect the teenagers school life and grades resulting in failed grades which could potentially cause depression or anxiety in later life.

# data[].attributes.body
According to (Drugwise, 2017) adults from the age of 16-59 have used cannabis within the last year. This is around 2.4 million people. It is important for teenagers to understand the affects of cannabis. It is known that cannabis is legal in some countries for example: Amsterdam is a country that has cannabis legalised in certain areas. Young people/teenagers may go to Amsterdam to smoke cannabis (Amsterdam.Info 2018). People may think the drug is safe and not harmful as it is legal in other places but, the side affects may say otherwise (Drugwise, 2017). If you start using cannabis in your teens or use it every day the chances of becoming addicted are increased (National Health Service, 2017). This statistic raises concern as teenagers potentially run the risk of becoming reliant on the drug.
Having spoken about parents using cannabis previously this could have had a knock-on effect for the child. When children notice certain things then they may imitate their parents as this is a way of learning.

# data[].attributes.body
If the parent is not addicted and is only using cannabis occasionally to relieve stress a family support worker may be a good way to seek help. A support worker is there to support any issues or difficulties individuals may have. A support worker may utilise the positives in order to help and make the mother feel worthy Frost and Abbott and Race (2015).
If the parent is addicted to cannabis and is potentially causing harm towards the child then this could become a health concern. A family support worker may notice a lack of care towards the child and may have to contact social services. If a child’s wellbeing is at risk or in danger it is important for the social worker to place the child in a safe environment where the child’s needs will be met (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).

# data[].attributes.body
According to Maslow’s theory, if certain needs are not met the child will never achieve its full potential, even as an adult. If a parent uses cannabis on a regular basis the child’s mental health/ wellbeing could deteriorate as needs could not be met. If the parent is addicted to cannabis and leaves the child to look after themselves and not give them basic items such as; food or water, it will highlight a serious case of neglect McLeod (2018).
If the issues of neglect are not noticed or solved the child may grow up to have many underlining issues. The child has never been able to reach the top of the hierarchy which, means they have never met their full potential resulting in: no self-esteem, self-worth or the need to feel loved Smith (2017).

# data[].attributes.body
According to Piaget’s stages of development a child is aware of many things by the age of two. This is called the pre-operational stage and is a fundamental part of growing up because children start to rely on parents and create a trusting bond. At this stage parents are becoming role models and children will start to notice things that seem out of the ordinary (verywellmind, 2018). If a mother or father is using cannabis on a regular basis the child may notice a mood change in the parent which could upset or confuse the child. This may result in the child taking a step back from the parent causing a lack of trust and potentially in the future cause attachment issues. If the parent has been smoking cannabis from when the baby was born, then the attachment could already be an issue. Babies will feel comforted when with the main care giver unless something is triggered. If there are any signs of neglect or lack of attention towards the baby this may result in attachment issues from birth Gray and MacBlain (2015).
These years for a child and mother are vital to create a secure attachment because
as a child gets older they will be able to understand a lot more. A child may notice a difference in parenting methods when comparing with other children. This can be difficult for a child as they may start to notice they do not dress or get to eat the same things as other children.
If the mother is a heavy cannabis user then the child may have to look after the parent resulting in a backwards relationship. If this was to happen a child may begin to resent their parents when they are older.

# data[].attributes.body
Drug and alcohol workers can be a great method for the mother to seek help and get on the road to recovery. There are many organisations that can help with this and counselling and rehabilitation would be a great way for the mother to gain support and deal with her substance misuse. Counselling could also build up the parent’s confidence and self-esteem resulting in an increase in her ability to show emotion and build on the relationship with their child to create a strong bond with their child Oliver, B. and Pitt, B. (2011).

# data[].attributes.body
In today’s society, women are under a lot of pressure to be “good mothers” they are expected to provide a strong and safe place for their baby. They are meant to be strong nurturers and provide a functional family (Harwood at el., 2007). This could be challenging because of the amount of stigma women have at this point in their lives. According to Burrows (2010) They can be made to feel helpless or hopeless and It can be hard for new mothers to cope and connect with their child due to drastic changes in hormone levels. This is usually antenatal or postnatal depression. A mother sometimes will take a step back and let someone else look after the baby because they feel they are not good enough. This is not true as a baby is not born with hate because it is taught hate. This can seriously impact their mental health and could send them down the road of drugs Villa (2018). Drugs can sometimes be a cry out for help and way to cover their pain, a new mother may need something to relax and conceal the pain they feel deep inside.

# data[].attributes.body
Gray and MacBlain (2015) talk about Bronfenbrenner. Looking into this theory it states that everything has an impact on a child and although a child cannot be constructed a childhood can be. The child is less likely to have a bond with the mother if they have a hard upbringing. Children are extremely clever human beings and will pick up on positive and negative energy. Positive parenting- if a mother is parenting in a caring and constructive way the child will role model this behaviour (Roncallo et al., 2018). On the opposite end of the scale negative parenting can either cause a child to misbehave or learn from the parent’s mistakes and break the chain/circle and change this behaviour Crowley (2017).
If a parent smokes cannabis whilst the child is at school or whilst being away it may not be a concern. If it is not noticeable when the parent is under the influence of cannabis, then it may not affect the child’s wellbeing. Carrying on from this it may be for medicinal purposes, for the first time in the UK cannabis-based medicines have been legalised (GOV.UK 2018). People in the UK are now able to get cannabis oil for serious pains. If a parent is struggling with a certain pain or illness such as: arthritis, epilepsy and fibromyalgia (National Health Service, 2018). They may be proscribed cannabis oil to help and because of this cannabis would not be seen in a negative way, it could be seen as a supporting method for a mother and child.

# data[].attributes.body
The side effects of smoking cannabis can be severe in some cases. It can make people feel confused, depressed, paranoid and very anxious (National Health Service, 2017). This could be an issue for the mother’s health as they may struggle to cope with looking after a young child when dealing with anxiety. Using cannabis on a regular basis can cause a lack of motivation and interest. This may be the reasoning why she has been unable to create a positive bond with the child and resulted in depression. This is another side effect when smoking a high amount of cannabis and can become a vicious circle as the mother is depressed because she has not built a bond with her child therefore continues to smoke cannabis to relieve the pain. This could keep happening as it is an ongoing issue.

# data[].attributes.body
Oliver and Pitt (2011) suggested that a health visitor would find this concerning as it would highlight there is an underlining issue with the bond between the child and the mother. In addition to this, the parent could be using the drug as a coping mechanism especially if they are single parents and struggling to deal with the child alone. A health visitor would be there for the child, parent or family when the family needs support on certain issues that could be affecting a child’s health and wellbeing. The health visitor would usually visit the home and discuss any struggles or concerns the parent may have. The health visitor may offer solutions depending on the assessment of their needs and preferences. Each family’s needs are different and the support offered would be tailored to suit them. Examples of this: joining groups, seeking help, social services, clinics and maybe meeting up with other mothers in the community so they don’t feel as alone.
It is important for health visitors to follow the new Equalities Act (GOV.UK 2015) and make sure they avoid any judgements regarding parents or families. It is vital for the mother and child to feel that the health visitor is there to help and not show any sign of prejudice, stereo types and discrimination.

# data[].attributes.body
Ainsworth had 3 fundamental attachment styles. Secure, insecure avoidant and insecure ambivalent/resistant. Looking into this theory, if a child is raised by a cannabis abuser then it could potentially mean that their needs are not met due to neglect and a lack of attention. In this case it would mean Insecure Avoidant. The child will not be upset when the main care giver leaves (mother) and will avoid the main care giver when reunited with them Gray and MacBlain (2015). On the other hand, the main care giver could potentially meet all of the child’s needs whilst being under the influence of drugs which would suggest the attachment style to be secure. This particular theory would suggest that cannabis may not be an issue for child development if the requirements are met. If the child is neglected due to cannabis misuse this could indicate a series of issues.

# data[].attributes.body
Using cannabis whilst pregnant could be extremely harmful towards the child. It can cause abnormal brain development and could potentially cause issues for the child in later life (National Health Service, 2016).
If a young child’s care giver is unable to provide basic needs, it may cause some issues. If the child is neglected because the main care giver is a drug user, it could then potentially cause attachment issues for the child, not only with the parent but also other adults throughout their life. These attachment issues could then result in depression and distractions in later life causing rebellion (GoodTherapy, 2018). Both groups OPPS and MHPCD noticed an increase in impulsive and hyperactive behaviours. “Following on from that it was said that 9-12 years age range was suffering with depression, hyperactivity inattention and the impulsivity carried on.” (US National Library of Medicine 2011).

# data[].attributes.body
This mind map aims to explore the impact of cannabis and how it can affect the child development of an individual. It will look at the effect of all parties and primarily focus on the arising issues when using drugs and the influence it can have on others.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act cannabis is a class B drug (DrugWise, 2017). It is commonly known as weed or marijuana. This drug has many short-term side effects, withdrawal symptoms and potentially long-term effects, especially when the user starts it whilst young as this can damage the capacity to learn and focus. Cannabis can cause suffering on the individual but also for the people around them (National Health Service, 2017). Research shows that “10% of regular cannabis users become dependent on it.” Cannabis is still an ongoing issue which is yet still to be solved (DrugWise, 2017).