Facts & Risks
Educate Your Family on Dangers of Marijuana Use
Marijuana use comes with real risks that can impact a person’s health and life.
Whether marijuana is smoked, vaped, or eaten, there are adverse effects associated with use in any form.
Studies have found marijuana is an addictive, harmful, and mind altering drug. It over-activates parts of the brain and negatively affects brain development. Marijuana leads to physical health problems, mental health problems, and risk of addiction.
With the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana throughout the United States, marijuana potency has increased exponentially. Concentrates are not the traditional joint of the past. Concentrates are highly potent, THC-rich forms of marijuana that can be vaped, dabbed, and used in edibles.
Exposure to high levels of THC, the chemical in marijuana that causes impairment, increases the risks of physical dependence and addiction. Higher doses of THC are more likely to produce anxiety, agitation, paranoia, and psychosis.
Arizona Parents: Do you need tips on how to talk to your child about the new recreational marijuana laws? Download these talking tips today.
Surgeon General Advisory
– VADM Jerome Adams, the first Surgeon General Advisory on marijuana since 1982
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Almost 30% of teens have used marijuana - this is TOO many!
Latest Studies
Association Between the Use of Cannabis and Physical Violence in Youths: A Meta-Analytical Investigation | APA | 5/26/2022
Abstract
Objective:
The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the extent to which cannabis use among youths is associated with the risk of perpetrating physical violence.
Methods:
Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles published from the inception of each database to July 2019. All studies that examined both cannabis use and the perpetration of physical violence in a sample of youths and young adults <30 years old were included. The meta-analysis was performed with a random-effects model. Risk of publication bias was assessed with Egger’s test. Guidelines from the Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology were followed.
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Recreational cannabis legalization and transitions in cannabis use: findings from a nationally representative longitudinal cohort in the United States | PUBMED | 5/26/2022
Abstract
Aims: This study estimated the likelihoods of individuals transitioning to different cannabis use status following recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) in the United States.
Design: Secondary analysis of a nationally representative longitudinal cohort in the United States. We used propensity score matching to balance individual characteristics between RCL and comparison states and generalized mixed regressions to estimate behavioral transitions in matched samples.
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Δ9-THC reduces reward-related brain activity in healthy adults | NIH | 5/25/2022
Abstract
Rationale: Greater availability of cannabis in the USA has raised concerns about adverse effects of the drug, including possible amotivational states. Lack of motivation may be assessed by examining acute effects of cannabinoids on reward processing.
Objectives: This study examined single doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC; 7.5, 15 mg oral) in healthy adults using a version of the monetary incentive delay (MID) task adapted for electroencephalography (EEG; e-MID) in a within-subjects, double blind design
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Do alcohol and cannabis substitute or complement each other? Analysis from behavioral economics for formulating public policy on substance use in Colombia | PubMed | 5/22/2022
Abstract
After alcohol and tobacco, cannabis is the third most used substance among young Colombian adults, and many consume alcohol and cannabis concomitantly. However, academics have debated whether these substances substitute or complement each other among consumers.
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Pregnancy Outcomes Associated With Use of Tobacco and Marijuana | PubMed | 3/11/202
Abstract
Tobacco and marijuana are the most common drugs of abuse among pregnant women. Cigarettes have been extensively studied and increase the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, premature rupture of membranes, placental dysfunction, low birth rate, stillbirth, and infant mortality. There are sparse data on the specific effects of electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in pregnancy. Literature on marijuana in pregnancy is limited by confounding, bias, and the retrospective nature of studies that do not capture contemporary trends in use. However, several studies suggest an association between marijuana and fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, and neurodevelopmental differences in offspring.
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Latest NEWS Commentary
The bags look like well-known chips or candies, but what’s inside could harm children | CNN | 4/19/2022
(CNN)At first glance, it looks like a single serving bag of Nerds Rope that your child might eat as a treat. But take a closer look. See the word “medicated” and the small white box at the bottom that says 600 milligrams of THC?
Those three letters stand for tetrahydrocannabinol, the part of the marijuana plant that makes people high.
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Potent drugs packaged like candy, legally sold in Florida sparks calls for stricter rules | WFTS | 2/20/2022
TAMPA, Fla. — Products from cake pops to candy containing a chemical compound called Delta 8 are being sold legally in Florida without a prescription and with the goal of getting people high.
The I-Team has uncovered these products have caused hospitalizations and at least one death, sparking calls in Hillsborough County for better regulation of these products.
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Numbers of children under FIVE being poisoned by eating their parents’ pot brownies and gummies has soared by 320% over past three years as more states legalize the drug | DailyMail.com | 2/20/2022
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STUDY: Recreational marijuana companies use marketing that appeals to adolescents | NEWS10.com | 2/20/2022
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – According to a new study released Thursday from the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, many recreational cannabis companies market their products in ways that appeal to children and teens. This marketing is easily viewed via social media by consumers of all ages.
“I had expected that cannabis companies were unlikely to fully adhere to existing guidelines,” says lead author Megan Moreno, M.D., M.S.Ed., M.P.H., division chief of general pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Some cannabis companies generated dozens of social media posts per day, and there is no current system in place to monitor or enforce these regulations. However, it was surprising to see how the presence of guidelines made a difference between states.”
