The researchers found that more than 2.5 million U.S. teens– or about 1 in 10– were casual marijuana users. Dr. Levin, who directs Columbias Division of Substance Use Disorders, stated psychological health problems and marijuana use are closely linked. “Having anxiety or suicidality may drive teens to use marijuana as a method to alleviate their suffering,” she stated. “Concurrently, using marijuana most likely worsens depressive and suicidal symptoms.”
Thirty-eight states enable the usage of medical cannabis.
” Perceptions exist amongst youth, parents, and educators that casual marijuana use is benign,” said Ryan Sultan, MD, assistant professor of medical psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia and lead research study author. “We were shocked to see that marijuana use had such strong associations with unfavorable psychological health and life results for teenagers who did not satisfy the criteria for having a compound use condition.
The research study, he stated, is the very first to recognize that subclinical, or non-disordered, marijuana use– symptoms and habits that do meet the requirements for a clinical disorder– has clear unfavorable and impairing associations for adolescents.
1 in 10 youth leisure users
To conduct their research study, Dr. Sultan and colleagues examined actions from a representative sample of participants to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual survey to gather information on tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, and psychological health. The cross-sectional research study included around 70, 000 adolescents in between the ages of 12-17.
The scientists found that more than 2.5 million U.S. teenagers– or about 1 in 10– were casual cannabis users. More than 600,000 teens– roughly 1 in 40– fulfilled the criteria for cannabis dependency. To be considered addicted, an individual must meet a minimum of two of 11 criteria, which include an inability to lower intake, consistent cravings, and relationship and social problems.
Furthermore, non-disordered marijuana users were 2-2.5 times more likely to have unfavorable mental health results and behavioral problems, compared to teenagers who didnt utilize marijuana. Teenagers with a dependency to marijuana were 3.5 to 4.5 times most likely to have these concerns.
Immature brain areas put teenagers at raised risk
Numerous studies note that marijuana usage can alter the advancement of the cortex, the brains center of reasoning and executive function, presenting a risk to young individuals whose brains have actually not matured. Cannabis usage in teenage years is associated with difficulty believing, problem-solving, and reduced memory, in addition to a threat of long-lasting dependency.
” Exposing establishing brains to dependency-forming substances appears to prime the brain for being more prone to developing other forms of addiction later in life,” stated Frances R Levin, MD, the Kennedy-Leavy Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia and senior study author.
Dr. Levin, who directs Columbias Division of Substance Use Disorders, stated psychological health issues and marijuana usage are carefully linked. “Having anxiety or suicidality might drive teenagers to use cannabis as a way to ease their suffering,” she said. “Concurrently, using cannabis most likely worsens self-destructive and depressive symptoms.”
Growing legalization of leisure cannabis
The researchers stated the findings are particularly worrying provided the popularity of cannabis as states have transferred to make the drug legal. As of April 2023, 22 states have actually legislated leisure marijuana. Thirty-eight states allow the usage of medical marijuana.
This raises questions if the criteria used for developing a diagnosis of a compound use disorder need to be re-evaluated for youth, Dr. Sultan stated who is also the medical director of Integrative Psych, where he focuses on compound usage disorder treatment.
” While teenage marijuana use is unlawful, even in states with legalized marijuana, there are little to no true protections for teens, such as instructional projects,” he added. “Federal legalization offers the chance to deal with those safeguards.”
The researchers are continuing this work by assessing if adolescents casual usage of nicotine and alcohol by adolescents likewise demonstrates impairing and adverse results on brain function, psychological health, and long-lasting dependency.
Referral: “Nondisordered Cannabis Use Among United States Adolescents” by Ryan S. Sultan, Alexander W. Zhang, Mark Olfson, Muhire H. Kwizera and Frances R. Levin, 3 May 2023, JAMA Network Open.DOI: 10.1001/ jamanetworkopen.2023.11294.
A new research study exposes that teenagers who recreationally utilize marijuana are 2 to 4 times most likely to engage and establish psychiatric disorders in issue behaviors, such as bad scholastic efficiency and difficulty with the law. Even casual use of marijuana is connected with long-term unfavorable results, affecting the mental health, behavior, and prospective development of adolescents.
Adolescents who participate in leisure cannabis use are two to 4 times more prone to establishing psychiatric conditions compared to teenagers who avoid utilizing marijuana altogether.
New research study from Columbia University, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, suggests that teenagers participating in recreational cannabis use are two to 4 times more vulnerable to developing mental health issues like depression and suicidality compared to their peers who refrain from cannabis usage entirely.
The research study also exposed that even irregular usage of cannabis can put teenagers at risk for troublesome habits. These consist of bad scholastic results, school absence, and legal problems, all of which might potentially impede their long-lasting advancement and avoid them from recognizing their complete potential as grownups.
