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
Dose-Dependent Effects of Cannabis Edibles on Simulated Driving Performance | JAMA Network Open | August 2026
Conclusions and Relevance In this crossover randomized clinical trial of driving performance after exposure to THC edibles, THC dose-dependently impaired simulated driving performance at blood THC concentrations below per se thresholds commonly used for roadside enforcement.
Relationships between cannabis use and mental disorders: assessing the coherence of evidence from studies with different methodologies | The Lancet Psychiatry | July 2026
Admission Delays in Receiving Treatment for Cannabis Use Disorder Among U.S. Adolescents | American Journal of Preventive Medicine | September 2026
Conclusion:Treatment delays for adolescent patients with cannabis use disorder have resurged since 2019, particularly affecting younger adolescents, White non-Hispanic youth, and those in nondetox settings. Addressing treatment delay is critical to improving access and outcomes for adolescent cannabis use disorder treatment.
Longitudinal neurocognitive trajectories in a large cohort of youth who use cannabis: combining self-report and toxicology | Neuropsychopharmacology | April 2026
Conclusion: Data suggest those who use cannabis show likely pre-existing better cognitive performance during late childhood, with reduced improvement or flattened trajectories over time. These neurocognitive trajectories in youth (ages 9-17) who initiate cannabis use were demonstrated after accounting for within-person change and numerous known confounds and improving accuracy in identifying cannabis use through incorporating toxicological measures. Continued monitoring of this cohort will clarify cannabinoid-cognition relationships into young adulthood, including the impact of timing of cannabis use initiation.
Trends in the Prevalence and Severity of Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorders Among US Adults | JAMA Psychiatry | August 2026
Conclusions and Relevance This cross-sectional study found divergent age- and sex-specific patterns from 2021 through 2024, with moderate-to-severe CUD prevalence increasing and moderate-to-severe AUD prevalence remaining stable across males, females, and most subgroups. The increased prevalence underscores the importance of early detection, routine screening, timely access to evidence-based CUD treatment, and targeted strategies to counter increasing acceptance, availability, and potency of cannabis products. High prevalence of moderate-to-severe CUD among adults who use cannabis challenges the notion that cannabis has low addictive potential.
Latest NEWS Commentary
Teen Marijuana Addiction Rose After Legalization | The Drug Report | 9/17/2026
A recent study in Addiction found that the rate of cannabis use disorder among 13-17-year-olds in Northern California who were enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Northern California increased by approximately 8% per year following California’s November 2016 vote to legalize recreational marijuana.
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Marijuana is a National Embarrassment | AALM | 9/21/2026
On Friday, September 4, 2026, the world’s No. 1 tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, was forced to stop play mid-match at Louis Armstrong Stadium during the U.S. Open. The reason was not rain, injury, or a line call. It was the overwhelming smell of marijuana.
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Study of 11,000 US Teens Links Cannabis Use to Slower Brain Development | Science Alert | 4/22/2026
A long-term study of more than 11,000 children and teens has linked recreational cannabis use to slightly slower development of memory, attention, and thinking skills.
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Friday Fact: Move over, Joe Camel. Marijuana now surpasses cigarettes in daily use. | The Drug Report | 7/30/2026
For the first time on record, more Americans use marijuana daily or almost daily (21.4 million) than smoke cigarettes daily (19.9 million) or drink alcohol daily or almost daily (17.2 million), according to the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released this week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.