Marijuana Harms Teenagers' Brain More Than Alcohol

A recent study assessing the harms of drug use by adolescents revealed that cannabis is more harmful than alcohol. The reason for this is that marijuana has effects on reasoning, behavior and memory even after people stop using the drug.

The study was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry and provided follow-up data from 3, 826 students aged 13 and older who participated in evaluations over four years.

Each teenager answered questions about marijuana and alcohol use, as well as taking cognitive tests to estimate their brain skills. Of all respondents, 75% admitted that they consumed alcohol occasionally, and 28% said they smoke pot.

Although weed consumption was lower among the adolescents evaluated, the effects of this herb were more lasting and prominent in these young people, since marijuana affects memory, inhibition control and reasoning.

Brain in formation

weed

Patricia J. Conrod, one of the study's authors, said that the biggest problem with all of this is that adolescent brains are still developing, and that cannabis affects this development, so the recommendation is to postpone the use of cannabis. as much as possible. It is noteworthy that the research does not state that alcohol does not hurt, quite the contrary, the issue is even in the fact that marijuana does even worse and longer.

Regarding cannabis, it is important to clarify that its effects vary from person to person, and that they depend on factors such as age, dose and frequency of use. Studies have shown that marijuana affects development-related parts of the brain, impairing the transmission of nerve signals.

In the case of mental illness, there is still no consensus on the use of marijuana, but studies have been conducted relating the drug to episodes of psychosis. In any case, factors such as genetic predisposition, childhood trauma and family history must also be taken into account.

When in doubt, it is best not to use the drug, much less in adolescence.

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