Early Cannabis Use Poses Risks to Physical and Mental Health

"Researchers compared the effects of cannabis on the physical and mental health of teens who started using cannabis before and after age 15. They found that cannabis was neither performance-enhancing nor good for general health and well-being. The data are important because they confirm many other studies warning of the effects of teen cannabis use. But this new study goes further: It examines whether adolescent cannabis use is associated with greater utilization of medical care for mental and physical conditions in young adulthood."

"The new followed 1,591 participants (51.4% female) from Québec, Canada, from birth to age 23, using Canadian health databases. Self-reported past-12-month cannabis use at ages 12, 13, 15, and 17 were each compared with records of medical care utilization (ages 18-23) for any mental disorder and substance-related disorders, suicide-related behaviors, and any physical health condition, like respiratory diseases, injuries/poisoning, or other physical diseases."

"Early teen cannabis use correlates with higher use of mental and physical health services in young adulthood. Teens who use cannabis early have more injuries, poisoning, respiratory, and other problems than abstainers. Five years of data show that the best advise on teen use of cannabis is: Don't use. Next best: Delay use."

Early adolescent cannabis use associates with increased utilization of mental and physical healthcare during young adulthood. Teens who begin using cannabis before age 15 experience higher rates of injuries, poisoning, respiratory problems, and other physical conditions than abstainers. Adolescent cannabis use is not performance-enhancing and is linked to worse general health and well-being. Greater access to potent THC products through legalization raises parental concern. Longitudinal data from a Québec cohort of 1,591 tracked self-reported cannabis use at ages 12–17 and linked it to medical records for ages 18–23, showing elevated service use for mental, substance-related, suicide-related, and physical disorders.

Read at Psychology Today