Help Your Troubled Teens Understand the Risk of Marijuana

Help Your Troubled Teens Understand the Risk of Marijuana

Troubled teens might believe they can safely use marijuana as they often believe that use of the drug comes with little if any risk. However, the use of the drug carries numerous dangers that can permanently impact a teen.

The Effect on the Brain

The brain contains various receptors that respond to cannabinoid, and marijuana use triggers these receptors, causing different responses as follows:

  • Memory and learningRegular marijuana use as a teen can mean as much as an eight point decrease in IQ, an effect that lasts into adulthood. Students struggle with studying, recall and learning new information.
  • Coordination – THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, affects balance, coordination and movement. In turn, this negatively impacts the user’s abilities in video games, driving and sports.
  • Judgment – The drug also impacts decision-making skills, resulting in increased risky behaviors, including the use of other drugs or unsafe sexual behaviors.

Continued use of the drug over an extended time during the teen years can impair overall brain development and function, resulting in a loss of full brain potential.

The Impact on Health

After the person smokes marijuana, heart rate accelerates, bronchial passages expand and blood vessels dilate in the eyes. These changes cause a negative toll on the user. For example, the heart can work nearly twice as hard when a person uses marijuana, negatively affecting the body. The smoke irritates lungs, causing breathing and related respiratory problems, similar to those associated with tobacco use. Marijuana use has also been connected with increased mental health problems, including anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts in teens. While researchers are still investigating the connections between mental health problems and use of the drug, they also believe that it might raise the risk of developing psychosis in some populations.

The Effect on Driving and Academics

All states have laws against driving under the influence of marijuana for teens, in part because of the confirmed dangers. The drug impairs various skills necessary to be safe behind the wheel, such as focus, reaction time, alertness and coordination, and a user will struggle with judging distances.

When someone smokes marijuana, their grades will probably suffer, and they might drop out of high school, especially when compared with students who don’t use. The drug negatively impacts attention span, learning, the ability to concentrate and memory.

The Addictive Properties of Marijuana

Many teens argue that marijuana is not addictive, but scientific evidence shows otherwise. A user will crave the drug along with the “high” that it brings. Continued use can mean an addiction, and statistics show that between 25 and 50 percent of daily users will become addicted. However, various factors impact the likelihood of addiction, including the age at first use, genetics, the use of other drugs, their involvement in positive activities and the strength of relationships.

Addiction generally means that the teen experiences withdrawal, which can last for weeks, if they quit using the drug. Symptoms generally include:

  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Loss of appetite and possible weight loss
  • Cravings for the drug and
  • An inability to sleep.

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

7 Dec, 2015

Recent Posts

7 Tips to Cope With Teen Stress

7 Tips to Cope With Teen Stress

With the stressors we face as adults, with work and family responsibilities, it’s easy to forget that our teens also often face significant pressure and stress as they navigate their lives. If your teen has been having a tough time, there are a few things that you can...

Parenting Tips for 14 year olds

Parenting Tips for 14 year olds

Teens can be hard to talk to sometimes and even to engage with. Many kids are dealing with changes during the early teenage years that can lead them to act out, be closed off, or be generally disrespectful toward their parents or authority figures. When you are trying...

What are the Benefits of Equine Therapy

What are the Benefits of Equine Therapy

Working and interacting with horses is by no means a new trend; in fact, utilizing this type of therapy with horses for issues such as anxiety and depression has occurred for several decades. Though more research needs to be done to delve into the full benefits of...

How to Set a Curfew For Your Teen

How to Set a Curfew For Your Teen

When your teen was younger, it wasn’t necessary to set a curfew for him. Most likely because you were the one who was running around dropping him off and then picking him up. As he grows up and gains independence, it is more likely that he is driving himself or...

What to Do When Your Teen Lies

What to Do When Your Teen Lies

When was the last time that you told a little white lie? If we’re honest with ourselves, we don’t always tell the truth. We may tell our partners, children, and coworkers those little white lies even when we know better. Children and teens may not always know better...

How to Deal With an Aggressive Teenager

How to Deal With an Aggressive Teenager

As the parent of a teen, you may expect a level of angst, anger, eye-rolling, and the occasional slammed door after a disagreement. What you may not expect is aggressive behavior that may be verbal and physical. Whether your teen is strictly verbally aggressive or has...

You May Also Like…

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *