Cannabis, marijuana, weed, dope, pot -- whatever you call it, more and more people are smoking, vaping and eating it.
Twenty-four states have legalized recreational marijuana, and as that number continues to grow, more and more teens and young adults are experimenting with it.
But cannabis isn’t as harmless as some believe, especially for developing brains. Young minds are more curious than cautious, and it could end up impacting their health.
One of the latest studies from the American Academy of Pediatrics reports 7% of eighth graders, 17% of 10th graders and 30% of 12th graders report using marijuana in the past 12 months.
New research is showing it can be detrimental to young brains.
“They can have dizziness. They can have hallucinations, high heart rate, slurred speech, breathing problems, really scary symptoms,” said Dr. Dominic Lucia, with Baylor Scott & White Health.
The number of children needing medical attention has risen more than 1,000% in just five years.
And since young brains continue to develop until age 25, cannabis use as teenagers can cause difficulty thinking and problem-solving, problems with memory and learning, poor coordination and reaction time and difficulty focusing.
And just like tobacco, marijuana smoke irritates the lining of the mouth, throat and lungs. In fact, pot smoke has many of the same toxins and cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco smoke and can trigger bronchitis.
Although young minds will be curious, having serious discussions with your middle schoolers and teens may save young people from serious health problems as they age.
Results of 48 studies show that children who regularly use cannabis are much likelier to leave school before graduating.
There’s a widespread belief that you can’t get hooked on cannabis, but research tells us differently. About 9% of all people who use cannabis develop substance use disorder with cannabis, but for those who start in their teens, the rate jumps to 17%.