84 million US individuals have used cannabis at least once. In 2007, youngsters in the age group of 12 to 17 accounted for 6.7% of the marijuana users. This is, obviously, not the best revelation. Weed’s cannabidiol content may have showed itself to be useful for health but the plant also contains THC which makes one high.
Sure, THC does help with pain management, but it is not recommended to consume this harmful recreational drug. It is even more alarming that teenagers are using pot as marijuana can also indirectly take one to his grave due to the suicidal thoughts it induces or the car crashes that it has the potential to cause.
Stats also reveal that adults equal to or older than 26 who used marijuana before the age of 15 tried drugs such as heroine, cocaine, etc. Now a new research further stamps that the regular use of cannabis in one’s teen years can be harmful.
As per this latest study, using cannabis in adolescence can lead to depression and suicidality in early adulthood.
What Did This Study Reveal?
A new study conducted by investigators from the McGill University and the University of Oxford have conducted a systematic review as well as a meta-analysis of existing evidence and 23,3017 people from 11 international studies to look at the link between the youth’s use of cannabis and their developing depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior when they are early adults.
It was found that adolescents who used cannabis had a higher risk of suicidality and depression in their adulthood; however, no anxiety link was detected. While the risk wasn’t too high, this is still a matter of grave concern since a lot of young people make use of cannabis. The risk was found to be about 7%, but that means 400,000 depression cases among adolescents in the US, 60,000 in the UK and 25,000 in Canada.
Dr Gabriella Gobbi, a professor at McGill University, said, “While the link between cannabis and mood regulation has been largely studied in preclinical studies, there was still a gap in clinical studies regarding the systematic evaluation of the link between adolescent cannabis consumption and the risk of depression and suicidal behavior in young adulthood. This study aimed to fill this gap, helping mental health professionals and parents to better address this problem.”
Cannabis contains THC which has psychoactive properties. It has been found that adolescents use of cannabis, when regular, can up the risk of accidents, compromised performance at school, addiction, cognitive decline, psychosis, and also respiratory concerns. This is why it is crucial to keep cannabis out of the reach of children.
Key Takeaway
Though cannabis has medicinal benefits too, many people still use it for getting high. This includes youngsters too. Looking at the mounting evidence against the regular use of cannabis among adolescents, it is necessary to keep an eye on teens’ use of the drug as it can have detrimental impacts in their future.
