SHARES
“What are the side effects of marijuana to teens? And how much should we worry?”
As marijuana gives considerable promise for treating medical conditions like pain and nausea from chemotherapy, it is gaining greater acceptance across the world. However, it is important to know the both sides of the coin, including the adverse effects on health, especially among youths.
What is Marijuana?
Marijuana, also known as weed, pot, ganja, grass, bud, Maryjane, is a mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa. It exists in several forms such as hand rolled cigarettes, pipes, water pipes. Often times, we can find marijuana use in foods such as brownies, candies, and cookies.
The main psychoactive chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannibiol (THC), which give you the mood elevation and relaxation. The leaves and bud of the female cannabis plant contains high level of this chemical.
How Does Marijuana Act On The Brain?
THC’s chemical composition is similar to a brain chemical, called anandamide. This makes our brain recognise it almost immediately. When you smoke marijuana, THC travels from the lung (via smoking) or digestive tract (via consuming) into the bloodstream, and then into the brain. It acts on the canniboid receptors which are found in parts of the brain which is associated with pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, coordination, sensory and time perception. These effects can last up to several days.
For instance, THC activates brain reward system which is responsible for pleasurable activities such as eating and sex. Dopamine is released at a higher level in response to natural stimuli, giving the “high” that those recreational marijuana user experience.
On the other hand, THC can affect brain areas that help you create new memories (hippocampus) and shift attention focus (orbitofrontal cortex). As a result, you will find it difficult to learn and perform complicated tasks.
THC also alter the functioning of the cerebellum ganglia, areas that is responsible for balance, coordination, posture and reaction time. That is why you may have problems in driving or playing sports after taking marijuana.
Photo by Kristen Klempa from Flickr
Marijuana And The Young Brain
Unfortunately for adolescents, the young brain is more vulnerable to the effect of the drug. This is during young adulthood, the brain is still maturing in a way that is crucial for higher order thinking, memory, problem solving and reasoning. Thus, marijuana abuse in the young can have negative and long lasting effects on cognitive development.
Studies have shown that young habitual marijuana users lose an average of 5.8 IQ points by the time they attain adulthood. As a result, teens who regularly use marijuana are more prone to poor school performance, higher dropout rate, more welfare dependence, unemployment, and lower life satisfaction.
Treatment
If you suspect your teen is suffering from marijuana abuse, seek professional help. Intervention is integrated and customised to each person based on their medical, psychiatric, and social problems. One of the treatments include cognitive behaviour therapy, which identifies and changes attitudes towards substance abuse.
Photo by sammieritchie from Flickr
Conclusion
In conclusion, marijuana is becomingly more accepted in society for medical use but this doesn’t mean it is safe to the young. Policy makers need to tightly control the emerging cannabis industry and the level of THC permitted in order to protect the young. Cannabis use is still detrimental to teen’s brain, and should be avoided.
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References:
1. Marijuana drug facts [Internet]. NIDA. 2019. (Available from: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana; last updated on 2019 Dec; last accessed on 2020 June 21)
2. Weir K. Marijuana and the developing brain [Internet]. American Psychological Association. 2015 Nov;46(10):48. (Available from: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/11/marijuana-brain; last accessed on 2020 June 21)
by Chang Xian
View all articles by Chang Xian.
