Marijuana in Teens

April 26, 2024

Bradley S. Gleason, D.O., Tessa L. Manning, M.D.,

In 2014, Johnny Stack, a freshman at a Colorado high school, was introduced to marijuana. He had scored a perfect 800 on the math portion of his SAT, and he was involved in cross-country, karate, and piano. Johnny was described as a very happy kid who always had a smile on his face. His family warned him of the brain damage marijuana could cause, but he continued to use, mostly by vaping.

In 2018, after he graduated from high school with honors, Johnny attended Colorado State University, but became suicidal and withdrew from the university. After being sober for several months, Johnny returned to school, this time at Northern Colorado University. Unfortunately, he re-acquainted himself with marijuana and experienced his first psychotic episode. Johnny was prescribed antipsychotic medication, again achieved sobriety, and for a third time, enrolled at an institution to earn a degree, this time Colorado Technical.

After yet another period of marijuana use, Johnny was determined to quit for the final time. In a phone message to a friend, he wrote, “I’m focusing on becoming a better person…I’ve stopped smoking for almost 2 weeks now, and I want it to stay that way. My head is already much clearer and I’m genuinely happier.”

Unfortunately, Johnny had quit his antipsychotic medication along with the marijuana. At 1:03am, on November 21^st, 2019, the Stack family received the tragic news from the coroner’s office that their 19-year-old son, Johnny, had committed suicide by jumping off the sixth floor of a parking garage. Just 3 days prior to his death, Johnny had gone to his family’s house for dinner, and said, “I just want you to know that you were right all along. You told me marijuana would hurt my brain. It’s ruined my mind and my life, and I’m sorry. I love you.”

Laura Stack, Johnny’s mother, continues to tell her son’s story and inform others on the dangers of marijuana.

Greater Accessibility Leads to a Rise in Use

In the United States, adolescent marijuana use is higher than ever before. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 5 high school students report use in the previous 30 days. This statistic is likely even higher in Oklahoma, which now has well over 2,300 cannabis dispensaries, by far the most of any state.

As this article states, the potency of cannabis products has risen astronomically, with many products in the 1990s containing only 2% THC, compared to popular strains today containing upwards of 30% THC.

The Risks of Cannabis Use in Teens

With increasing accessibility and potency, it is crucial that we understand the risks of cannabis use in teens, including psychosis, depression, suicidal ideation, reduced brain function, increased school drop-out rates, automobile crashes, and addiction.

Psychosis and Schizophrenia

As this article discusses, cannabis use in adolescents, especially when high in THC content, increases the risk of psychotic symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. Many of these individuals require psychiatric hospitalization and are diagnosed with schizophrenia, a condition that requires intense, life-long psychiatric treatment and severely impairs one’s ability to function independently. One study found that teenagers who use cannabis by age 15 have a 4.5-fold increased risk of developing schizophrenia when compared to the general population.

Depression and Suicide

Adolescents who use cannabis are more likely to develop apathy and depression. They are also more likely to suffer from suicidal ideation. One study found that 40% of youth that reported cannabis use experienced suicidal thoughts, compared to only 17% of youth that denied cannabis use.

Reduced Brain Function and Achievement

Brain development is not complete until age 25 in most individuals. As discussed in this review, adolescent cannabis use has been found to disrupt the developing brain and has even been linked to reduction of intelligence quotient (IQ) in frequent users. IQ may not be the only characteristic that suffers from cannabis use. Studies have shown that the hippocampus, the area in our brain responsible for memory, is less functional in chronic marijuana users.

Along with IQ and memory, motivation is also likely decreased in frequent cannabis users, with one study reporting that teenagers who use cannabis daily were 60% less likely to complete high school compared to their peers who reported never using.

Increased Risk of Automobile Crashes and Fatalities

Marijuana affects many of the necessary skills for safe driving including alertness, concentration, coordination and reaction time and is the most common illegal drug found in automobile accident fatalities. These skills are especially important for teenagers when they are first learning how to drive. Teens should be counseled not to drive within 6 hours of using marijuana and to avoid riding with a driver who has been using.

Inability to Control Marijuana Use

Repeated marijuana use can lead to the inability to control drug use and people often cannot stop even if they want to. Studies show that the addiction rate is much higher if marijuana use is started as a teenager, with a rate of 17%, or about 1 in 6. Other symptoms of addiction include neglecting responsibilities and relationships, giving up previously enjoyable activities, continued use despite known problems, and symptoms of physical dependence such as withdrawal and cravings when attempting to quit.

How to Help

Communication between you and your teen is critical. Sharing stories such as the one in this article can be eye opening for many marijuana users. There is a staggering amount of false information regarding potential benefits of cannabis, and many users are simply not aware of the risks associated with cannabis, until it’s too late.

Luckily, many of the adverse effects from cannabis are dose dependent, meaning that the severity of the effects can be reduced with smaller doses. Going from frequent, high dose marijuana to complete discontinuation overnight is difficult, but a steady reduction in dosage over the course of weeks is a cessation method that has been successful and should be encouraged by parents.