It has been five years since New York and New Jersey legalized recreational marijuana use for people who are 21 and older.
Despite widespread public support, there is still concern from health professionals about the risks of addiction and other issues, such as intellectual impairment and poor performance in school or at work. The risks may be particularly high in people under age 25 – and more education is needed, said Jill M. Williams, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the director of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Williams said regular cannabis use has been linked to the development or worsening of several mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and psychosis. She discusses the risks associated with use, how cannabis products have increased in potency and what parents can do to help their children.
Several factors seem to be associated with a higher risk of developing problems related to cannabis use. One of these is age. Starting cannabis at an early age puts someone at higher risk for addiction as well as other consequences. Since the brain is not fully developed until about the age of 25, there is concern about how cannabis, as well as any other substance, can affect these processes of brain maturation. To read the full story.