October 2017
Pediatricians Warning Against Teens Using Marijuana
With marijuana now legal for recreational or medical use in 29 states and the District of Columbia, access and attitude toward it are relaxing. According to Seth D. Ammerman, M.D., FAAP, co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical report, Counseling Parents and Teens About Marijuana Use in the Era of Legalization of Marijuana, “Marijuana is not a benign drug for teens as their brains are still developing. Marijuana may cause abnormal brain development.”1 This study did not address the use of cannabis for the treatment of children who suffer from severe refractory seizures and other critical conditions.
Teens who use marijuana regularly may develop serious mental health disorders including addiction, depression and psychosis. It dulls sensory awareness, motor control, coordination, judgment and reaction time. Marijuana can impair lung function. It decreases short-term memory, concentration, attention span and problem-solving skills; all which can interfere with learning.2
Government data shows almost 40 percent of U.S. high school students have tried marijuana. About 20 percent are current users and close to 10 percent first tried it before the age of 13. While the use has increased in recent years among teens age 18 and older, it has not increased among younger teens. Still, kids ages 12-17 increasingly think that marijuana use is not harmful.3
If teens decide to use marijuana, they typically do so by the age of 19. Pediatricians must continue to be cognizant of the impacts of marijuana use on teens’ developing bodies and minds. As marijuana is being promoted for medical purposes, pediatricians should continue their efforts to prevent the use by teens.
Also, today’s marijuana is much more potent and potentially riskier. The potency of marijuana is defined as the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the dry weight. In 1975, the average potency of THC was 0.71 percent, in 1997 it was 3.71 percent and in 2014 it was 12 percent. Current strains can contain concentrations as much as 20 percent.
A new report from the AAP encourages pediatricians to screen preteens and teens for substance use, and offer interventions and treatment referrals with reinforcement techniques to abstain and resist peer pressure.4
References
1 Ammerman S, Ryan S; Committee on Substance Use and Prevention. Counseling Parents and Teens About Marijuana Use in the Era of Legalization of Marijuana; 2017.
2 Volkow, Nora; Baler, Ruben; Compton, Wilson; Weiss, Susan; The New England Journal of Medicine, Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use; June 5, 2014.
3 National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health; Monitoring the Future Survey: High School and Youth Trends; December 2016.
4 American Academy of Pediatrics; Nation’s Pediatricians Warn of Rising Risks to Youths from Loosening Marijuana Law; 2017