MARIJUANA USE AMONG TEENAGERS MORE THAN A CASUAL HABIT

For decades now the use of marijuana has been a rampant part of the
teenage experience for many.

It's not news to hear that adolescents are experimenting with
substances such as cannabis and alcohol during those intense years of
self-discovery and drive for independence.

However, what is troubling is the number of teenagers who are doing
more than simply experimenting.

It seems a growing number are developing strong habits that will
affect not only their immediate futures but even their lifelong health.

A study last year completed by the National Institute of Health in the
U.S. surveyed more than 46,000 teenagers in Grades 8, 10 and 12 and
found that daily marijuana use had increased in all groups since 2007
- --among high school seniors, one in 16 reported using the drug daily or
near-daily.

This increase came after five years of consistent decline in marijuana
use by teenagers in the U.S.

Unfortunately, regular cannabis use is particularly bad for teenage
brains that are still developing.

One Canadian study suggested daily marijuana use by teens can cause
depression, anxiety and irreversible effects on the brain by lowering
serotonin levels and raising norepinephrine levels--neurotransmitters
known to affect mood and susceptibility to long-term stress.

Other studies have found frequent use by those whose brains are still
developing can cause long term damage to learning and memory as well
as affecting judgment and motor skills.

Very recent data is difficult to find for Canada, but according to
statistics from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, a quarter
of high school students report having used marijuana in the past year
with the numbers ranging from three per cent of Grade 7 students and
46 per cent of Grade 12 students.

Of those, 12 per cent said they use the drug every
day.

These numbers date back to 2007 and it would be interesting to see if
a similar increase has occurred in our own country since then.

Although it is not popular to write about, cannabis use is not good
for you physically or mentally.

Marijuana smoke contains more tar than cigarettes and also includes a
cocktail of more than 400 other chemicals by inhaling deeply and
holding the smoke inside the lungs longer than smokers, those smoking
marijuana increase its negative impact on the lungs.

I have also talked in the past about some of the ways in which
marijuana can impact negatively on existing psychiatric disorders.

Many people believe smoking marijuana will relax them and ease anxiety
or depression, but in fact it tends to worsen these conditions.

It is also particularly unhelpful in ADHD even though people here also
often use it to self-medicate.

It may be a naturally occurring plant, but marijuana should not be
treated as an all-purpose natural healing agent and it is increasingly
obvious it causes many more negative effects than positive.

I encourage young people to learn the facts about this and other
substances--express your independence in a more creative and healthy
way.