The legalization of marijuana has caused heavy debate. It is easy to look at the positives such as lowering the number of people in prison, which leads to less split families and less tax paying dollars. Marijuana is also viewed as a safer option when compared to other drugs, nicotine, and alcohol. While all of those are true, there are negatives to this issue as well, specifically targeting adolescents. Smoking marijuana in adolescence has negative effects on mental health and cognitive development, which could be solved by marijuana only accessible to those over 21 as well as proper education of its negative effects
The Developing Brain
According to Risks and Benefits of Legalized Cannabis from Lindsey Rogers, when starting early enough, marijuana can affect the neural pathways in the brain which influences the signaling of dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters crucial for a healthy brain. The earlier a person starts, the worse it can get. Development is stunted, dependency increases, memory problems, and the chances of getting into harder substances in the future drastically increases.
To truly understand the concern, all adolescents are required to get an education. High school and middle school are among the most popular times when an adolescent may try or be exposed to marijuana and be led down the wrong path. Marijuana heavily influences how the brain works causing fogginess, less memory retention, and inability to focus. All of these skills that marijuana affects are necessary for a successful academic career and for a healthy brain. If the developing brain is so used to the substance that causes those things, it won’t know anything different. The brain will need marijuana to function and will be permanently damaged. A choice that seems so small can determine the path of someone's entire future.
Mental Health and the Adolescent
Adolescence is overwhelming and a time when people are most vulnerable to stress. There are high levels of hormones constantly pumping through the body that influence feelings day to day. With these vulnerabilities, adolescents are particularly exposed to mental health problems. The most common ones are depression, anxiety, and self-esteem problems. The statistics are heartbreaking, according to Compass Health Center 50% of mental health disorders emerge at age 14 and continue through the course of a lifetime and 20% will face depression by age 17.
With such high levels of mental health problems, adding a misunderstood substance to the mix is only bound to make things worse. While adding marijuana to the mix, adolescents can also experience psychosis. This makes people feel like they are not real or the things around them are not real, similar to disassociation. With lack of coping skills, using weed as an escape, and not understanding the true effects of marijuana this leads youths down a very slippery slope; one that is hard to get out of.
A tweet from Marijuana Moment on Twitter “Where Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Stands On Marijuana: "I still believe it's a gateway drug. I've spent a lot of my life as chairman of the Judiciary Committee dealing with this. I think it would be a mistake to legalize." While it may not be a mistake to legalize it for adults, it is important to realize that it is the “Gateway Drug”. The idea that weed is non-addictive is simply not true and adolescents who are under that impression are more likely to see it as a safe option.
The legalization of marijuana does appear to have multiple benefits. Certain things like having a medical card have shown improvements in many areas of medicine. While research is still on going and at the time inconclusive, it is still currently believed to have some benefits. Medical Marijuana has been known to help people with nausea or headaches and pain or even serious diseases like cancer or seizures. As well as the fact that thousands of people smoke weed without getting addicted, but that can be attributed to the fact that everyone is different. The negative effects occur due to time of first use, frequency, and just the fact that everyone is built differently. So just because one person has no problems, doesn’t mean the next won’t.
The solution to getting ahead of these problems is through more intense screening and tests for people under the age of 21 trying to obtain a medical card and simply educating our youth. If adolescents are aware of the potential permanent damage this substance can cause, it could deter people from using it. More intense screening and tests for med cards can allow physicians to prescribe marijuana for the right reasons.
Smoking marijuana in adolescence has more negatives than positives. The important process a young brain goes through sets the stage for the rest of their life. Without these necessary skills an adolescent is putting themself in danger. As well as mental health challenges that they are already vulnerable to, adding a substance into their brain only leads to worsening problems. Smoking marijuana leads to negative effects on cognitive development and an increase in mental health problems, which could be helped by raising the legal age to 21 and properly educating the youth on the dangers of marijuana. Our kids deserve healthy development and the chance to flourish.
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