There is a large and growing body of research showing the dangers of marijuana and THC, its active ingredient. It is called dope for a reason. Despite this a number of states and now the federal government have moved to ease regulation, making access for teens even easier. A recent study found that prior to legalization, cannibis use was declining, but following legalization of THC, teen use increased, even though it isn’t supposed to be legally sold to them. This means more trouble in school, more serious mental health problems and worse cognitive and social functioning. The epidemic, with its lockdowns, led to a temporary decline in adolescent use of THC, but we can expect that updated data will show that use is rebounding. The data come from one very large health system in California that regularly screened teens for THC use from 2011 to 2024. I would anticipate that there is a bigger uptick in use among young adults, who have legal access in many states. (JAMA Study)
