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You need to know the dangers regarding marijuana use and teenagers. In this new ongoing series, Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC) provides you with the best studies and sources about the dangers of various drugs and mental health conditions. Focused on both youth and adult populations, the goal is to offer quality information from governments, academic institutions, and highly regarded journalistic investigations.

With useful information at your fingertips, better decisions about prevention and treatment are made.

As California’s foremost nonprofit provider of substance use disorder and mental health services for underserviced populations, TTC offers integrated programs that deliver whole-person healthcare offerings. Moreover, TTC’s residential and outpatient youth services in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley have a track record of success in both mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

Therefore, we know the dangers involved with marijuana use and teenagers. Indeed, we help youth find the path to long-term recovery.

Five Studies about Marijuana Use and Teenagers

1) U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

In a report, the U.S. Surgeon General reveals a dangerous connection between marijuana use and teenagers. Since the human brain is developing during adolescence, frequent marijuana use adversely affects attention, memory, decision-making, and motivation. Moreover, chronic marijuana abuse by teens impairs learning capabilities. Moreover, the risk for psychotic disorders increases with the frequency of use and the potency of the marijuana product.

2) The CDC Reveals “What You Need to Know About Marijuana Use in Teens”

Highlighted on their website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals the negative effects on school and social life associated with marijuana use and teens. Indeed, marijuana use in adolescence often has a serious impact on a teen’s life. The risks are frightening to realize, including a decline in school performance, increased risk of mental health issues, and the potential for addiction. In fact, 1 in 6 teens who repeatedly use marijuana become addicted.

3) Academic Paper reveals the “Effects of Cannabis on the Adolescent Brain”

In the academic journal, Current Pharmaceutical Design, research authors examine the latest literature about the effects of cannabis on the adolescent brain. They conclude that there exists a multitude of dangers when you combine marijuana use and teenagers. These dangers include neurocognitive disadvantages in the domains of attention and memory that last beyond abstinence. Moreover, “macrostructural brain alterations,” meaning lasting damage to the physical makeup of the brain, also occur.

4) Long-Term Effects of Early Adolescent Marijuana Use on Attentional and Inhibitory Control

In the latest issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, findings of a recent study suggest that marijuana use and teenagers are a bad mix. The combination “adversely affects cognitive development, especially during the sensitive period of early adolescence.”

5) Adolescent Cannabis Use, Cognition, Brain Health and Educational Outcomes

In a review of the latest evidence in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology in July 2020, the findings are scary. Indeed, in longitudinal studies, “cannabis users are less likely to complete secondary school than their non-using controls… cannabis has potentially detrimental effects on cognition, brain and educational outcomes that persist beyond acute intoxication.”

The Obvious Dangers of Marijuana Use by Teens and Adolescents

Without question, the findings of these studies are incredibly relevant. The cognitive dangers when you combine marijuana use and teenagers are real. Thus, parents, educators, and medical professionals need to know the risks. Moreover, the American people need to understand that legalizing marijuana does not make a dangerous drug safe for teenagers.