International School Parent Magazine - Spring 2024
Welcome to the first edition of the International School Parent Magazine for 2024. We hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Spring is a wonderful time – the weather is warmer, and the longer days help to boost our motivation. It is also the perfect time to start thinking about summer camps. We have curated a list of inspiring and interesting programmes and have presented them to you in a special feature beginning on page 40. In this edition we had the pleasure of interviewing both Nicola Sparrow, School Director of Aiglon College, and Andrea Spielmann, the Principal of the new SIS Basel-Allschwil school. In these articles, both these accomplished women share their passion for education and provide insight into the culture and ethos of their respective schools. We also continue our discussion of children’s mental health, drug use, communication, travel, and present many more interesting and topical articles and commentary. Check out the articles about the family activities in Lichtenstein, as well as unusual and exciting things to do in Switzerland, and an introduction to Basel the Swiss capital of culture and architecture. Once again, we are thrilled to present to you a magazine filled with interesting and informative articles, exciting experiences, and practical tips for parents. Have a wonderful spring and we look forward to bringing you more content again in summer.
Welcome to the first edition of the International School Parent Magazine for 2024. We hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Spring is a wonderful time – the weather is warmer, and the longer days help to boost our motivation. It is also the perfect time to start thinking about summer camps. We have curated a list of inspiring and interesting programmes and have presented them to you in a special feature beginning on page 40.
In this edition we had the pleasure of interviewing both Nicola Sparrow, School Director of Aiglon College, and Andrea Spielmann, the Principal of the new SIS Basel-Allschwil school. In these articles, both these accomplished women share their passion for education and provide insight into the culture and ethos of their respective schools.
We also continue our discussion of children’s mental health, drug use, communication, travel, and present many more interesting and topical articles and commentary.
Check out the articles about the family activities in Lichtenstein, as well as unusual and exciting things to do in Switzerland, and an introduction to Basel the Swiss capital of culture and architecture.
Once again, we are thrilled to present to you a magazine filled with interesting and informative articles, exciting experiences, and practical tips for parents. Have a wonderful spring and we look forward to bringing you more content again in summer.
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Different Decade,<br />
Different Drug<br />
What <strong>Parent</strong>s Need to Know<br />
About Cannabis in <strong>2024</strong><br />
WRITTEN BY KATIE GREELEY<br />
Over the past several decades, the<br />
public perception of the risks<br />
associated with cannabis has seen<br />
a marked decline. This shift is largely due<br />
to the increased legalisation for adult use,<br />
the recognition of cannabis’s medicinal<br />
uses, and the development of a wide<br />
array of cannabis products, from edibles<br />
like chocolates and gummies to tinctures.<br />
In major cities, some restaurants have<br />
even begun to offer a complete “cannabis<br />
experience,” serving guests multi-course<br />
meals infused with cannabis, underscoring<br />
just how significantly the world of weed has<br />
transformed.<br />
For parents today, especially those with<br />
teenagers, it’s crucial to understand that<br />
despite these changing social norms and the<br />
decreased perception of risk, the reality of<br />
cannabis use has shifted dramatically. This<br />
evolution isn’t just about the legal status<br />
or the wide variety of products available;<br />
it’s about the fundamental changes in the<br />
potency and composition of cannabis–<br />
and the volume of misinformation that<br />
young people must navigate. With<br />
legalisation, the growing cannabis industry,<br />
and widespread commercial availability,<br />
a significant increase in potency of the<br />
psychoactive ingredient in cannabis,<br />
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), means more<br />
risks to users than ever before.<br />
The Evolution of Cannabis<br />
To truly capture how cannabis has changed<br />
more in the past 30 years compared to the<br />
thousands of years the plant has existed,<br />
let’s dive into the evolution of cannabis.<br />
Cannabis often evokes images of the<br />
1960s and 1970s counterculture, symbolised<br />
by landmarks such as the Woodstock Music<br />
Festival and the Vietnam War. It was a<br />
period when the cannabis plant was widely<br />
regarded as “all-natural.” During those<br />
decades, THC levels, the psychoactive<br />
component in cannabis, hovered at<br />
only 1%—by today’s standards,<br />
decidedly less potent.<br />
Throughout the 1980s and<br />
1990s, THC levels modestly<br />
increased, ranging from 3-5%.<br />
The 1990s, in particular, saw a<br />
symbiosis between pop culture<br />
with music icons like Nirvana<br />
increasingly embracing and<br />
integrating cannabis culture into<br />
its identity.<br />
This period turned cannabis<br />
from a countercultural symbol to a<br />
mainstream and horticultural product.<br />
This shift was underscored in 1996 when<br />
California led the way in legalising cannabis<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 63
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