Are there protective and preventative factors against cannabis use that depend on the family?

Yes. The family is an essential sphere for preventive action regarding cannabis use. The family can exert a positive influence by promoting protective factors. A protective factor is any attribute, condition, or characteristic that reduces or minimizes the risk and likelihood of initiating or continuing drug use. helping them to have the resources to face decisions with autonomy and a sense of responsibility.

• Boost their self-esteem. Accept them as they are. Set expectations aligned with their abilities. Value what they do well. Praise effort more than success. Encourage them toward goals and help them achieve them. This is what we call the Pygmalion Effect. Knowing that we believe in them will increase their self-esteem and self-concept. A person with healthy self-esteem is an empowered person.
• Lead by example . Be a positive role model and a reliable source of information, demonstrating healthy behaviors and making your opinion and stance on this issue known. In psychology, we call it vicarious learning when children learn by observing; therefore, it is important to maintain attitudes and behaviors consistent with the values and norms taught at home.
• Establish rules and boundaries. These should be clear, reasonable, and age-appropriate. They can be agreed upon with the children and reviewed based on their age and level of responsibility. Furthermore, they should know that there will be consequences if these rules are not followed. When children demonstrate responsibility and comply with family rules, this behavior should be reinforced with praise and recognition. One strategy is to sign a behavioral contract outlining the agreements and commitments of both parties.
• Promoting positive parent-child communication is essential. Establishing good two-way, reciprocal communication with children is crucial. Pay attention to them, creating spaces for dialogue where they can share things with each other through active listening, taking their opinions into account and respecting them.
  

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• Encourage critical thinking and reflection. Teach them to analyze situations and experiences objectively in order to make decisions and solve problems appropriately. Teach them to verify information and identify its sources. Today, the difficulty is not finding information, but knowing whether it is truthful and objective.
• Share healthy leisure and free time alternatives. Create a list of shared activities and interests (sports, cultural, etc.) and create opportunities for families to meet and enjoy them. Also, encourage their participation in activities and teamwork such as youth, cultural, and community associations, volunteering, etc.
• Collaboration and follow-up with the school. The school and the family are two fundamental pillars for preventative intervention. Family and school must work together not only for academic monitoring, but also for supervising classroom behavior, peer relationships, and, of course, promoting healthy habits.
• Managing emotions. Emotions are very important.   We must empower adolescents and young adults to manage, express, and navigate the world of emotions: frustration, anger, rage, sadness, and so on. They need to be able to identify, recognize, and effectively manage and regulate their own feelings. It's important to be able to talk about emotions, how they feel, and to have alternative activities to cope with them—to have a "resource cabinet," as psychologist Patricia Ramírez points out, of tools for managing them appropriately: meditation, physical exercise, helping others—activities that contribute to improved emotional well-being.
• Monitor your children's behavior . Let them know you care about them. Be aware of their interests, maintaining a close relationship, but at the same time, avoid overprotection—what Israeli psychologist Haim Ginott called "helicopter parents," parents who constantly hover over their children, overly worried and controlling, thus hindering their freedom and personal autonomy.   

If you don't let your children grow, fall and get back up, in the end, instead of a strong tree, you'll have a bonsai. Javier Urra, psychologist.