The debate over the possible medical uses of cannabis versus the possible damage incurred by increased availability has spurred many conversations over the last decade. Researchers have examined marijuana as a potential “gateway drug” that initiates users into experimentation with more potent drugs like heroin and cocaine. Studies have also addressed whether cognitive functions are affected by cannabis use.
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High school students who use marijuana are at higher risk for drug abuse and other problems as adults, and it may have something to do with the physical aspects of adolescent brains, according to two new studies.
Read more about Marijuana Use in Adolescence Associated with Adult Depression
The idea of legalizing marijuana has been argued for years and many believed it was simply the rights of the “pot-heads” at stake. In truth, authorities are looking at a much bigger issue, one that involves the violence spilling over from Mexico and the constant, losing battle between users and the law. The assumption is that legalizing marijuana will allow for a flooding of the market, which will drive the price down and make it less appealing for dealers.
Read more about How Would the Legalization of Marijuana Impact California?
Marijuana is often called a “gateway drug,” because though its use may not be as dangerous as heroin or cocaine, it often introduces an individual into the world of drugs, where more dangerous drugs are easily obtained. Once a person uses marijuana, they may be over the initial barrier to using drugs and may go on to use stronger drugs.
With all the recent news stories about medical marijuana clinics, the number of states allowing access to medical marijuana, the push for legalization or decriminalization of marijuana, it might be tempting to think that marijuana is not really that bad, in the scheme of things, not really addictive or harmful at all. That would be a mistake. There are consequences to marijuana use and, while it may not approach that of hard drugs like heroin or methamphetamine use, the effects are still cause for concern – especially among teens. Parents and concerned caregivers take note: There is effective treatment for teen marijuana use.
How Big is the Problem?
Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in America, and has been for decades. It is also the number one drug of choice for millions of U.S. teens. While parents may find the statistics of teen marijuana use startling, the prevalence remains fairly consistent across numerous studies. In one recent study of 11,426 teens, one-quarter (25 percent) said they had already smoked marijuana, 13 percent had smoked it during the previous month, and 6 percent had smoked cannabis more than 4 times in the previous month.
In a press release (http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pressreleases/09drugpr.pdf) about the results of the 2009 Monitoring the Future Study (MTF), researchers pointed out that teen marijuana use has been increasing gradually over the past two years, following years of declining use. The MTF has been tracking drug use among U.S. teens since 1975. Each year, about 50,000 8th, 10th, and 12th graders are surveyed (12th graders since 1975, 8th and 10th graders since 1991).
Lloyd Johnson, the study’s principal investigator said that while marijuana use isn’t up dramatically, the trending upward stands in sharp contrast to nearly a decade of declines. More troubling are attitudes and perceptions. “Not only is use rising, but a key belief about the degree of risk associated with marijuana use has been in decline among young people even longer,” says Johnson, “and the degree to which teens disapprove of use of the drug has recently begun to decline. Changes in these beliefs and attitudes are often very influential in driving changes in use.”
The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) (http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUHlatest.htm) shows that of the 2.2 million recent initiates to marijuana in the past year, most (61.8 percent) were under the age of 18 at first use. Among youths aged 12 to 17, an estimated 5 percent had used marijuana for the first time within the past year.
Factors that Increase Risk of Teen Marijuana Use
Experts have identified the following factors that increase the risk that teens will begin using marijuana:
• Poor family relationships
• Household access to marijuana
• Poor school experience
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of (or little) religious identity
• Fear of dying
• Working more than 20 hours per week
• Poor grades
Potency of Marijuana Increases
Marijuana that is available in the U.S. today is much more potent than cannabis in the 1970s, according to research. Today’s levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main ingredient in marijuana (of more than 170 different compounds), is nearly 9 percent today, compared to less than 1 percent in the 1970s. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), has been quoted (http://jcctcc.wordpress.holton.k12.ks.us/adults-and-parents-heads-up/er-visits-for-teen-marijuana-use/) as saying, “Marijuana is not a benign drug. Marijuana can be addictive: it interferes with brain functions, like learning and memory. And it may pose a threat to the health and well-being of children and adolescents at a critical point in their lives – when they are growing, learning, maturing, and laying the foundation for their adult years.”
Negative Effects of Marijuana Use
The increased potency of marijuana available today carries with it increased risk of negative effects in the users. In other words, marijuana use by teens is far from harmless, even in small quantities. Some of the negative effects of teen marijuana use include:
Short-term Effects:
• Increases in blood pressure and heart rate
• Increased risk of heart attack
• Increased tendency toward depression
• Impaired judgment and reduced coordination
• Problems with memory and learning
• Distortions in perception (sights, sounds, smells)
Long-Term Effects:
• Addiction – Not everyone who smokes marijuana will become dependent or addicted to the drug. But when someone feels they need to smoke it in order to feel better, to escape from their problems, to avoid tasks or responsibilities, they are said to be dependent on or addicted to it. In addition, frequent, heavy users of marijuana develop a tolerance to the drug. This means they require more of it and more often in order to achieve the same high or the same results they used to get from smoking smaller amounts. It is important to note that people can become emotionally and mentally addicted to marijuana. Getting the drug, so-called drug-seeking behavior, becomes all they think about. Their days are consumed by thoughts of, cravings for, and use of, the drug. This is classic addiction.
• Damage to brain cells – THC disrupts nerve cells in the brain where memories are formed. This makes it harder for someone who uses marijuana to recall recent events and also makes learning more difficult. Short-term memory is thus affected in learning or performing tasks that require more than 1 or 2 steps. In terms of long-term damage, researchers know that chronic marijuana use over a period of years takes its toll on the brain’s functioning. The extent of the long-term damage of marijuana use on the brain is still being studied.
• Lung and other respiratory problems – Studies show that people who smoke marijuana tend to have the same type of breathing problems that cigarette smokers do. These include frequent coughing, phlegm accumulation in the throat and chest, wheezing, and more chest colds than non-smokers.
• Compromised immune system – Studies of animals have found that THC can damage cells and tissues that protect from disease.
• Reproductive system difficulties – Heavy marijuana use can affect the reproductive systems of both males and females. The effects of THC could cause delayed puberty in males, and, in females, the drug may disturb the monthly cycle (menstruation periods and ovulation).
• Cancer potential – Scientific evidence is inconclusive whether marijuana can cause cancer, but marijuana smoke does contain many of the same – and sometimes more – cancer-causing chemicals as smoke from cigarettes. Studies have shown that someone who smokes 5 joints per week may take in as many cancer-causing chemicals as a person who smokes a pack of cigarettes daily.
• Increased risk of schizophrenia – Among persons with underlying substance abuse and mental disorders, the risk of schizophrenia (or other mental disorders) may increase with chronic, long-term cannabis use. Researchers are exploring the connection between co-occurring disorders (substance abuse and mental disorders) and marijuana use.
Marijuana usage, especially chronic, has other short- and long-term effect on teens. These include the way they are able to perform in a variety of settings. Marijuana use affects how they perform at school, at work, in extracurricular activities, sports, and other social interactions, and how they interact with parents and other family members. Since marijuana smokers tend to display reduced motivation and increased apathy, they are less likely to be on time for work, school, or appointments, and are more likely to show a lack of interest, enthusiasm or diligence in doing well at school or other activities.
Signs of Marijuana Use
Parents may fear prying into their teens’ lives, but it is important for parents and other caregivers to be on the lookout for telltale signs of marijuana use. Certainly the combination of several of the following signs should be cause for concern:
Cannabis is growing as a drug of choice among teenagers, according to a report in AAP and parents are warned to get tough on teens who indulge. This warning comes on the heels of recent research that shows even occasional use can lead to alcoholism or even harder drugs.
Read more about Light Cannabis Use Can Lead to Problems Later
Young adults who have used cannabis or marijuana for a longer period of time appear more likely to have hallucinations or delusions or to meet criteria for psychosis, according to a report posted online that will appear in the May print issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Previous studies have identified an association between cannabis use and psychosis, according to background information in the article. However, concerns remain that this research has not adequately accounted for confounding variables.
An Emory University study has found that daily marijuana use in adolescence may hasten the onset of symptoms leading up to psychosis. Science Daily reports that the study was published in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
An increasing number of Dutch teenagers are becoming addicted to marijuana. Many of them begin smoking pot regularly around age 13, and the habit develops into dependency and results in being admitted to a rehab clinic.
Rob Kievit of Radio Netherlands reports that young smokers are getting into conflicts with their parents, dropping out of school, and getting into trouble with the law as they often steal to finance their habit.
A new study shows that memory loss associated with marijuana use is caused by the drug’s interference with the brain’s natural protein synthesis machinery. Though it has been documented that marijuana impairs memory, the exact mechanism was previously unknown.