According to the CDC, 38% of high school students have used marijuana at some point in their lives. While the stigma attached to using marijuana has decreased significantly in American society as states continue to legalize the recreational and medicinal use of the drug for adults, there are particular concerns with how marijuana affects a teenage brain.
Our brains don’t actually become fully developed until we are in our mid-20s. This means that using marijuana can harm the teen brain when it is still developing.
Are you worried that you or someone you love is using marijuana too young in a way that could have long-term consequences?
Let’s take a look at what you need to know about how marijuana affects a teenage brain.
How Marijuana Affects a Teenage Brain
As mentioned above, a teenager’s brain is still in the process of developing. This means that it can create issues that aren’t necessarily a problem for adult users.
Might Delay Maturation of the Prefrontal Cortex
One study from the University of Illinois in Chicago found that exposure to THC in rats during a specific window of time during adolescence could delay prefrontal cortex maturation. This is a part of the brain that is involved in decision-making and complex behaviors.
Could Create Problems With Specific Memory and Learning Tasks Long-Term
Are there long-term effects of marijuana use during the teen years? There is some evidence from animal studies and human studies that suggest that adverse changes can occur in the long-term and even possible permanent brain. Studies have found that being exposed to THC during adolescence (and before birth and shortly after birth) can create notable issues with memory and learning tasks later on in life.
Some of the other potential risks of marijuana use as a teenager include:
- Could potentially create both functional and structural changes in the Hippocampus
- It might alter a teenager’s reward system
- It might cause functional impairment in cognitive abilities
- It might lead to IQ decline
Researchers are still working to understand the effects of marijuana on the teenage brain in the short term and the long term. Because of the common relationship between drug abuse and mental health among teenagers, it can be complicated to determine whether drug addiction leads to mental health problems or vice versa.
Negative Effects of Marijuana on School and Social Life
Some of the negative effects associated with marijuana use include:
- Impaired coordination
- Difficulty problem solving and thinking
- Problems with learning and memory
- Difficulty maintaining attention
There also seems to be some correlation between marijuana use and negative results in a teen’s school performance and social life.
Decline in School Performance
Students who use cannabis might be more likely to drop out of high school than those who don’t. Even if they don’t drop out, it might make them more likely to get lower grades.
Impaired Driving
It’s incredibly dangerous to drive while impaired by any substance, cannabis not excluded. There are several necessary skills for safe driving that marijuana can negatively affect. These include coordination, reaction time, and concentration.
Potential For Addiction
While not everyone who smokes marijuana is addicted, some studies have found that about one in six teens who regularly use the drug can become addicted. Addiction can lead people to lose interest in their family, friends, responsibilities, and hobbies and come along with many serious health risks.
Increased Risk of Mental Health Issues
There is a correlation between marijuana use and several different teen mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. It’s worth understanding that kids with mental health disorders are more prone to substance use than those without a mental illness. This means it can be difficult to understand whether the substance use disorder or the mental health condition came first.
Marijuana Withdrawal Effects
When someone uses cannabis regularly, it can lead to their body getting used to having THC and other cannabinoids in its system. This means that withdrawal effects might sometimes occur when regular use is stopped. Some of the potential withdrawal symptoms associated with this drug include:
- Mood changes
- Diminished appetite
- Sleep difficulties like insomnia
- Irritability
- Loss of focus
- Headaches
- Sweating, including cold sweats
- Cravings for marijuana
- Increased feelings of depression
- Chills
- Stomach problems
Different people will experience different symptoms, and some might have more severe symptoms than others. While these symptoms are typically not dangerous, they can still be incredibly unpleasant. You are more likely to experience withdrawal effects the longer you use the drug.
(Read more here about the dangers of undergoing an alcohol detox at home.)
Marijuana Addiction: There Is Help!
There is a common misconception that marijuana cannot be addictive. While millions of Americans can control their use of cannabis fairly easily, that isn’t everyone’s experience. For some individuals, using marijuana poses a substantial risk of developing an addictive relationship.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, using marijuana before turning 18 makes you four to seven times more likely to develop an addiction to cannabis than adults. Because public attitudes about marijuana have been changing over the last few decades, sometimes people assume that there are no dangers associated with its use. This means that it might be more difficult for someone with an addiction to realize that they struggle with one, as the behavior is increasingly accepted by society.
If you or someone you love is struggling with cannabis addiction, there is help for you. Learning more about how marijuana affects a teenage brain can help you understand why this is a serious problem that should be acknowledged and treated. At Realign Detox, we have personalized programs designed to treat addiction to marijuana. As marijuana becomes more and more common, it only means that this kind of treatment becomes more and more relevant. Contact us today!