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According to a CDC report, nearly 30% of high school seniors reported using cannabis in the past year, and 6% of them reported using it daily. Cannabis is one of the most commonly abused drugs in youth. It is often more accessible than other substances and portrayed in media that teens consume [1].
Cannabis is legalized for adult medicinal use in over 30 states, and teens may have the perception that it is harmless. However, the teen brain is still growing and in a vulnerable stage of development. Cannabis use can stunt this growth and negatively impact their mental health.
Read on to understand why teens use cannabis and how it affects their mental health.
What is Cannabis?
Cannabis is a plant that, when inhaled or ingested, produces psychedelic effects, euphoria, and feelings of relaxation. Other names it is commonly referred to are marijuana, weed, bud, or kush. The cannabis plant contains hundreds of compounds, including THC, the main chemical in cannabis that causes mental effects and euphoria [2].
Two common ways that teens use cannabis are through smoking or using edibles. Teens might smoke cannabis through a pipe, bong, joint, or vape. Edibles are ingested by eating THC gummies, weed brownies (or other food with cannabis), or by taking capsules with cannabis oil.
Warning Signs of Cannabis Use in Teens
It’s helpful for parents to be able to identify the warning signs of cannabis abuse in their teens. The sooner you recognize the problem, the sooner you can provide intervention and get them support. The warning signs of cannabis use in teens include:
- Finding weed on them/in their room
- Finding paraphernalia such as pipes, lighters, ashtrays, or rolling papers
- Smelling weed on their clothes, hair, breath, or in the home
- Red, bloodshot, or glossy eyes
- Low motivation
- Sudden academic decline
- Chronic cough
- Social isolation
- Depression and anxiety
What Increases The Risk Of Cannabis Use in Teens?
There is no single cause of cannabis use in teens. Some use it to relax or feel more social, while others use it to cope with underlying mental health problems or chronic stress. However, there are certain factors that can increase the risk of using cannabis.
According to the National Institute of Health, below are some of the most common risk factors that increase teenage cannabis use [3].
- Age: Older teens, 16 to 18, are associated with higher rates of use. Nearly 30% of this age bracket reported using marijuana, while only 3% of 12 to 14-year-olds reported use.
- Gender: Teenage boys have higher rates of use than girls, although the reasons behind this are still being studied.
- Untreated Mental Health Disorder: Teens who struggle with unresolved mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or trauma are more likely to use cannabis to cope with stress and numb emotional pain.
- Family Dynamics: Low levels of parental supervision, domestic violence, or substance abuse in the home can all increase the risk of teen cannabis use.
- Peer Influence: Teens who have friends, peers, or siblings who use cannabis may use it to feel accepted or part of the group.
- Isolation: Teens who struggle with low self-esteem or have low social engagement with their community and peers may use cannabis to manage feelings of isolation.
Is Cannabis Use Linked to Teenage Mental Health Problems?
Cannabis can increase the risk of mental health problems in teens. It can worsen the symptoms of already existing mental health disorders or increase the likelihood of one developing, especially in teens who have genetic vulnerabilities to mental illness.
Mood Disorders
Mood disorders like depression or bipolar can be worsened by cannabis use. According to research, people who abuse cannabis are nearly twice as likely to develop depression.
Teens may use weed to cope with symptoms (sadness, isolation, low self-esteem). This may provide short-term relief but causes long-term consequences [4].
Psychosis
Significant research has looked closely at the relationship between cannabis and psychosis or psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. The compound THC in cannabis provides psychoactive effects that alter one’s consciousness.
This can increase the risk of a psychotic episode, causing symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, or delusions in teens who are predisposed to mental health disorders [5].
Anxiety Disorders
Teens often abuse cannabis to cope with stress, anxiety or increase their confidence in social settings. It may provide them with feelings of relaxation in the short term, but in the long term, has been found to exacerbate symptoms of anxiety disorders.
How to Talk With Your Teen About Cannabis
Providing your teen with resources and education about how cannabis can impact their mental health can help lower the risk of them using it in the first place. Teens are still naturally curious and may still experiment, however, having open conversations about this topic can be helpful.
Some ways to talk with your teen about cannabis use include:
- Give them the facts, without using scare tactics, about smoking weed and how it can impact their mental and physical health.
- Ask them questions to find out what they already know about cannabis and their perception of the drug.
- Explain to them why some adults use cannabis medicinally and that they have a doctor’s prescription and medical marijuana card to do so.
- Remind them that using cannabis under the age of 18 is illegal and could get them in trouble with law enforcement.
- Open up with them about your own experiences with cannabis if you have any.
- Explain the risks of laced cannabis if purchased illegally or off the street.
- Set rules and enforce consequences around drug use.
Teen Substance Abuse Treatment Available in Texas
At Clearfork Academy, our team of licensed mental health professionals understands the complex nature of how substance abuse can stunt teenage development. We offer comprehensive treatments to help teens end their cannabis habit and build coping skills that increase their successful long-term recovery.
Contact our admissions team today to see how we can support your teen.
Sources
[1] Cannabis and Teens. 2024. CDC.
[2] Drug Fact Sheet: Marijuana. 2020. DEA.
[3] Factors associated with cannabis use in early adolescence. 2023. National Library of Medicine.
[4] Cannabis Use Disorder and Subsequent Risk of Psychotic and Nonpsychotic Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Disorder. 2023. JAMA Network. [5] Cannabis use and the risk of developing a psychotic disorder. 2008. National Library of Medicine.
Alumni Relations Manager
Mike grew up on a dairy farm in Parker County, Texas. At the age of 59, he went back to college and graduated 41 years after his first graduation from Weatherford College. God placed on his heart at that time the passion to begin to help others as they walked from addictions, alcoholism, and abuse of substances. He is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and in the past few years he has worn many hats, from intake and assessment, group counseling, individual and family counseling, intensive outpatient and now he is working with clients, therapist, and families on discharge planning and aftercare. He also coordinates our Alumni Outreach Program.
