Marijuana and the Teenage Brain

Marijuana use is on the rise in America. It is now estimated that about one out of every ten Americans have used marijuana at some point in their lives and with legalization efforts underway, this number will continue to grow. Marijuana users can be found all over the United States but they are more likely to live in states where medical or recreational use has been legalized. The legalization of marijuana is also causing an increase in the sale of devices. Marijuana companies, such as Smoke Cartel have been releasing new vaporizers, pipes, and other equipment to help smokers get their fix, and you can find a lot of these products on this website.  The use of these devices has increased as they are seen as a safer alternative than smoking cigarettes or cigars. 

Although marijuana was thought to be a harmless drug that you can use as a way to simply unwind and have fun, nowadays there is an increased concern for the effects of smoking weed on teenagers as it has been linked to various developmental problems. Furthermore, research has shown that marijuana can impair brain development and affect memory and cognition. It’s important to remember these facts before giving your child permission to use marijuana or going out with them while they are using this drug.

The following article will discuss what some of those risks are and how you can help your child avoid them when considering whether or not they should smoke weed during their teenage years.

Teenage VS Adult Brain

There is a huge difference when it comes to the teenage brain versus the adult brain, as for those of you who didn’t know, the brain isn’t actually fully developed until age 25 or later. So, in other words, what that means is that smoking weed can have detrimental effects on the brain development of a teenager than that of an adult. That’s why it is important for us to talk about its vulnerability to developing mental health problems like depression and anxiety. A lot of new adults wonder why they cannot cope with stress in the work field when they get older as they battle with anxiety and depression but smoking weed at a young age is never seen as a trigger to them. However, with the proof of science, it is evident to see that smoking weed as a teenager does have bad effects on the brain that can end up ruining a bright future for you.

The Risks

There are, believe it or not, several high risks of regular marijuana use in teenage years, such as the huge damage it can do to the memory and concentration skills of a teenager, and it may contribute to why it can make learning difficult for certain individuals in comparison to others. Marijuana may have a negative impact on motivation levels, mood, sleep patterns, and body weight, which are all factors that weigh heavily on the success of a student. Think about this twice before condoning the usage of marijuana to people under the age of 25. In fact, many are advocating for a higher age restriction on the usage of marijuana as a result of this to protect the youth from engaging in this supposed harmless drug at such a young age.

How to talk about it?

This is the many why the conversation about marijuana with your teenager is so important to have especially while they are still very young and you should definitely make sure to keep an open mind and be objective about the entire situation. It is also important to note that it is necessary to be clear about your goals while being calm and relaxed about the entire thing as well. It is also important that you do not lecture your child about their usage because this will only encourage them to continue doing it in private and it’s better for you to be aware of your kid’s usage than to be oblivious. Being aware allows you to seek help when needed from outside sources if you feel like your child is becoming a lot more dependent on it than usual. 

As it is clear to see, the use of marijuana with a teenage user affects the brain in a much different way than when it is with an adult user. Teenagers still need to develop their brains, and using drugs such as weed can really hinder their progress in life and their future in the long run.