Impaired brain function: why is it dangerous to allow marijuana to people younger than 25
Efforts to legalize marijuana in New York and New Jersey have been stalled—but not canceled—by disputes over exactly how to split marijuana revenues and concerns about driving under the influence of the drug. Both questions are important. But another issue should be at the center of the debate: the medical consequences of legalizing marijuana, especially for young people.
It is a mistake to think that marijuana is a harmless substance that poses no threat to teenagers and young adults. Medical facts show a very different reality, doctors Kenneth Davis and Mary Jean Crick write for New York Times.
Numerous studies show that marijuana can have a detrimental effect on the cognitive development of adolescents, disrupting the executive function of the brain, speed of information processing, memory, amount of attention and concentration. Damage can be measured using IQ test items. Researchers who observed subjects from childhood to 38 years found a decrease in IQ among people up to the 25 age who consistently consumed marijuana every week. In addition, research has shown that significant effects of marijuana on adolescents can be a predictor of opioid-related disorders.
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The reason why young people are so vulnerable to the effects of drugs is that the brain — especially the prefrontal cortex, which controls decision making, judgment, and impulsivity — continues to develop in humans before the age of 25.
Now researchers are well aware of how marijuana affects the brain. A chemical substance in marijuana, which is responsible for improving mood and relaxation (THC - tetrahydrocannabinol), prevents the exchange of information between neurons. Regular effects of THC on adolescent brains can permanently change the neural pathways associated with cognition, including learning, attention, and emotional reactions. In some teens, this can also lead to long-term addiction.
That is why the American Academy of Pediatrics warns young people and adolescents against using marijuana, both in medicine and for relaxation. In adults, some THC dosage forms are approved for specific indications, such as nausea caused by chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. The main non-psychoactive marijuana component (CBD — cannabidiol) has been medically approved for certain types of epilepsy and other indications.
Why is the use of marijuana today for adolescents a much greater danger than 20 or 30 years ago? The fact is that cannabis grown in our time is much more powerful. At the beginning of the 1990-s, the average TGC content in confiscated marijuana was approximately 3,7%; in the modern, tested in institutions in Colorado, the TGC content was already 18,7%.
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The proposals for legalizing marijuana, considered in New York and New Jersey, can be used since 21. Although society may consider an 21-year-old adult, the brain is still developing at this age. States that legalize marijuana should set a minimum age of at least 25 years, the authors say. They should also impose more stringent restrictions on TGC levels and strictly control them. Educational campaigns are also needed to help the public understand that marijuana is not harmless.
The fact that society has become more loyal to perceive the use of marijuana does not make it safe for high school students and students. Legal cigarettes and alcohol caused great harm to both society and the health of people, and ruined many lives. Marijuana can do the same. Doctors are convinced that we must tightly regulate the growing cannabis industry to protect the developing brain.
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