Teens, Brains, and Tetrahydrocannabinol
By: Pamela J. Nikodem
Tags: Growth, Life Lessons, Health, Mental Health, Addiction

My academic studies have taken me on a tour of addiction and mental health. Where I believe THC has beneficial properties, I also believe we must be mindful of the risks. The younger the user, the higher the risks. Here is a small exploration of teens and THC as adapted from my academic paper.

Teens and THC

From their parent’s medicine cabinets to the person selling marijuana on the sly near schools, youth find avenues to use; they desire to change their current reality.

Here’s a quick video explaining how THC Affects the brain:

With the use of marijuana, the adolescent brain, which is still developing tends to fall short of the ability to make sound decisions. The use of THC tends to decrease wise choices in an already underdeveloped brain.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects, affects brain cells throughout the brain, including cells in circuits related to learning and memory, coordination, and addiction (SAMSHA, 2018).

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is still in the development process where decisions and ideas are weighed based on risk assessment. During the sensitive time of brain growth, their healthy decisions are halted.

The brain’s limbic system, which develops first, creates memory and emotional responses and so the instant gratification and quick choices disregarding consequences takes over, rather than the focused, thinking in logical terms, and planning part of the brain.

Unfortunately, one of the reasons teens make emotionally triggered choices has to do with an undeveloped prefrontal cortex. For the teens who find access to drugs, the accepted choice derives the decision from the limbic system; soon, the ease of access, transfers to action (Hart & Ksir, 2014).

Teens who use prior to their brain’s full growth, tend to stunt the maturity of reason and logic. The slope to try out illicit drugs happens rather quickly.

For instance, the use of ‘blunts’, which are cigars that are hollowed out, filled with marijuana and crack, and then smoked increases the dangers of the drugs. The developing brain receives a double dose of drugs, increasing the damage taking place across the blood-brain barrier.

The validation of the shift from one drug to another, Melberg, Jones, Bretteville-Jensen suggest, “Our findings demonstrate, first of all, that there is a gateway effect and the hazard of taking up hard drugs increases substantially after the initiation of cannabis” (p.586).

Another concerning drug comparable to marijuana is on the rise. A synthetic drug called “Spice,” which is “sold over the counter in many states — particularly in gas stations, convenience stores, and head shops — has synthetic chemical components of marijuana sprayed onto shredded plant material that is then smoked” (Wadely, 2014, p.2). The drug is dangerous.

Thankfully, it is on the NIDA’s list of a drug that is decreased in use during the 2014 year. Those around 12th grade rather than the younger grades usually use this drug.

Unfortunately, “Other drugs, which use remained unchanged in 2014 include Ritalin and Adderall — both stimulants used in the treatment of ADHD — as well as LSD, inhalants, powder cocaine, tranquilizers, sedatives, and anabolic steroids. However, most of these drugs are now well below their recent peak levels of use according to the investigators” (Wadely, 2014, p.4).