Mariam Elnazali
As a university undergrad, marijuana has always been the common and
acceptable drug of choice among students, normalized in society long before its recent legalization in Canada. As someone who does not smoke it, I have always been bombarded with the wonderful medicinal benefits of marijuana, admittedly of which there are many; it helps to treat a multitude of issues or conditions. While the positive aspects of cannabis use are well-known, the negative effects that heavy cannabis use can have on an individual are not, particularly the risks associated with individuals who begin smoking it from a young age.
Often one of the first drugs that a teen is offered, cannabis is the
drug of choice among youth.To emphasize its frequent consumption among
teens in Canada, rates of cannabis consumption are triple the amount as
compared to adults. Consequently, Canada ranks among the top countries
in the world for youth cannabis users, illustrating the prevalence of
cannabis use among the teenage population in Canada.
teens in Canada, rates of cannabis consumption are triple the amount as
compared to adults. Consequently, Canada ranks among the top countries
in the world for youth cannabis users, illustrating the prevalence of
cannabis use among the teenage population in Canada.
On October 17, 2018, Canada formally legalized cannabis with the Cannabis Act. This is troubling because we may not understand the full implications of cannabis use. By legalizing cannabis, the Canadian government has essentially given an invisible stamp of approval concerning cannabis use and its safety for consumption. As a result, ignorant youth may regard smoking cannabis as a harmless habit, since the government has approved it.
Early cannabis consumption has been revealed to impair cognitive functions in many different areas of the brain, some of which are involved in certain complex behaviours such as decision-making and organization.
This is because early and heavy cannabis use effects pruning of the brain. This is what forms our brain connections, which are crucial to its development. In extreme cases, these cognitive effects can sometimes be permanent. Heavy usage can also have negative respiratory impacts, for example, asthma and/or negatively affect memory.
A literature review was conducted by Sideli, Quigley, La Cacia, & Murray, (2019) to analyze the relationship between cannabis use and certain mental health disorders. For example, psychotic disorders. Their analytical method included all relevant studies pertaining to this relationship.The findings of their extensive review were significantly adequate to merit public concern. It revealed how excessive cannabis use has been associated to certain mental illnesses. Specifically, in the propagation of these mental illnesses, such as the risk of psychosis. It also was linked to the persistence of these illnesses. This was dependant on a number of factors, primarily the amount of consumption of cannabis. This risk increased based on certain behaviours, such as consumption of more powerful strains or if smoking had begun from an early age. This increased risk was found to be specific for copious consumption of cannabis strains that were low in cannabidiol (CBD)/high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), two cannabinoids, that are found in the cannabis plant. They did not find clear evidence regarding illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
This is because early and heavy cannabis use effects pruning of the brain. This is what forms our brain connections, which are crucial to its development. In extreme cases, these cognitive effects can sometimes be permanent. Heavy usage can also have negative respiratory impacts, for example, asthma and/or negatively affect memory.
A literature review was conducted by Sideli, Quigley, La Cacia, & Murray, (2019) to analyze the relationship between cannabis use and certain mental health disorders. For example, psychotic disorders. Their analytical method included all relevant studies pertaining to this relationship.The findings of their extensive review were significantly adequate to merit public concern. It revealed how excessive cannabis use has been associated to certain mental illnesses. Specifically, in the propagation of these mental illnesses, such as the risk of psychosis. It also was linked to the persistence of these illnesses. This was dependant on a number of factors, primarily the amount of consumption of cannabis. This risk increased based on certain behaviours, such as consumption of more powerful strains or if smoking had begun from an early age. This increased risk was found to be specific for copious consumption of cannabis strains that were low in cannabidiol (CBD)/high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), two cannabinoids, that are found in the cannabis plant. They did not find clear evidence regarding illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Many of the studies they included also presented evidence related to the link between cannabis consumption and a greater risk for schizophrenia-like psychotic episodes and symptoms. Further, they found that drug dependency on cannabis consumption increased if individuals began using cannabis from a young age. One of the studies included in their review, found that for those who began smoking cannabis as an
adolescent up to the age of 15, a greater chance of experiencing psychosis symptoms of schizophrenic similarity by age 26 more than doubled in comparison
to individuals who began smoking later at 18 or older.
Why is this a problem? This is extremely
concerning because our youth are not educated on the negative effects that regular
marijuana use can have on their brains from an early age. Therefore, education
about these negative effects is imperative, in order to deter these teenagers
from initially smoking cannabis, or if they have already started smoking it, to help prevent them from becoming heavy users.
Research suggests that the brain does not stop
growing until we are about 25 and yet, you can legally purchase marijuana when you
are 19. This raises the question of whether the government should increase the legal age of purchase and consumption of cannabis.
Based on the research, it is clear that early and heavy cannabis
use can have damaging effects on the brain in relation to adolescents; further research
is definitely needed in this area in order to gain better insight on these
effects and their causes. However, the Canadian government should certainly take
a step back and rethink the current laws pertaining the legal age for cannabis consumption
and purchase. This will by no means prevent adolescents from gaining access to
cannabis through illegal avenues, which is common, but it would be a step in the
right direction towards prevention. As recommended by Sideli et. al (2019), the
findings regarding cannabis use and the risk of psychosis are "ample to
warrant an educational campaign to inform the public about these potential risks." Overall, these findings are important as they
could benefit a wide array of people by increasing their knowledge on all
aspects of cannabis use, so adolescents can hopefully make more informed
decisions, moderating their consumption of cannabis, potentially lowering such risks for these mental illnesses in youth populations. As well, these findings could help aid the government in reforming the Cannabis Act, concerning
the legal age of purchase.
Drug Free Kids Canada.Org. (2019). Prevention: Cannabis
is often one of the first drugs a teen is offered. Retrieved from
https://www.drugfreekidscanada.org/prevention/drug-info/cannabis/
Morin, J. G., Afzali, M. H.,
Bourque, J., Stewart, S. H., Séguin, J. R., O'Leary-Barrett, M., & Conrod,
P. J. (2019). A population-based analysis of the relationship between substance
use and adolescent cognitive development. The American Journal of
Psychiatry, 176(2), 98-106.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18020202
Sideli, L., Quigley, H., La
Cascia, C., & Murray, R. M. (2019). Cannabis use and the risk of psychosis
and affective disorders. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/10.1080/15504263.2019.1674991
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