Pot on the Teen Brain Marijuana and Depression. Marijuana and Suicidal Thoughts. Marijuana and Schizophrenia. Do we have your attention? As parents and caregivers, you probably never thought you’d see marijuana associated with these mental health problems … but it is. New research is giving us better insight into the serious consequences of teen marijuana use, especially how it impacts mental health. Today’s teens are smoking a more potent form of marijuana and starting use at increasingly younger ages during crucial brain development years.1 There is plenty of evidence indicating the ways pot impedes, even changes, the mental health of adolescents. In fact, those changes in the brain are similar to those caused by cocaine, heroin and alcohol.2 The overall impact that pot has on the brain can have long term consequences, and it’s up to you to influence your teen’s life when it comes to drugs. Depression Weekly marijuana use increases the risk of depression later in life. Research shows people who were not depressed and used marijuana at the beginning of one study were four times more likely to suffer from depression at follow up.3 Those who were depressed, but did not use marijuana at the beginning of the study, were no more likely to use it at follow up. This figure is higher in teen girls. Female marijuana users, with no predisposition for depression or anxiety, are five times more likely to be depressed at 21 than non-users.4 Suicidal Thoughts Marijuana can also be linked to suicidal thoughts. A study based on data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that teenagers 12 to 17 who smoke marijuana weekly are three times more likely to have thoughts of committing suicide.5 The same study linked increased anxiety and panic attacks to past year marijuana use.6 Schizophrenia Several studies have documented marijuana’s link with symptoms of schizophrenia and report that cannabis is an independent risk factor for schizophrenia. Heavy users of marijuana at age 18 increased their risk of schizophrenia later in life by six times.7 Further reports have found marijuana use increased the risk of developing schizophrenia among people with no prior history of a disorder, and that early use of marijuana (age 15 vs. age 18) increased the risk even more.8 In addition, youth with a personal or family history of schizophrenia are at an even greater risk of marijuana-induced psychosis.9 Let your teens know you don’t want them using marijuana. Their mental health may depend on it.
haha thats funny, i dont believe that at all haha. i mean i dont think it causes any of that. people who used it at an early age and then were depressed are probably depressed for some reason regarding about tthier job or family or somethin. haha idk but thats stupid.
If you know what you're going to find before you even look, chances are you'll find it even if its not there. People hear what they want to hear. Parents want to hear that every child who ever smoked a joint will commit suicide. Therefore, the studies that are in favour of this mentality are emphasized and all studies that oppose this mentality are ignored.
schizophrenia usually occurs during your teenage years usually from an underdevelopped prefrontal cortex..... pot isn't going to do that and it says after teen years..... the numbers don't mesh.....
This bloke I know works with the homeless and mentally ill and this dude smoked grass and that caused a chemical imbalance which caused scitzophrenia so yeah not everything is a conspiracy out to get pot smokers...
haha pot smoke can't cause chemical inbalances. i wish people would live with a few schizophrenic people for a decade or so...they might be more compelled to actually fucking learn about it.
there was something pre existent and that's one of those schizophrenia's that isn't really clinical schizophrenia but it gets called it anyway I suspect (unless he believes his fantasies are true, is a sociopath and has a tendency to be charming because "he just believes it so mush")
Huh? All I know is this dude went from normal to la la land....he ended up super paranoid and convinced he'd been involved in a serious crime and that the police were after him... poor bloke
