A new 20-year study has found that regular cannabis (marijuana) use causes health damage, whether people begin using it in adolescence or later in life. It is associated with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, can lead to addiction, and may result in the use of other drugs.
Dr. Gary Chan, the lead author of the study, states: "Compared to non-users, regular marijuana users were more likely to engage in alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and the use of other illegal drugs, and were less likely to be in a stable romantic relationship by age 35." Additionally, these results were more common among those who started using marijuana regularly in their teenage years; they were more likely to suffer from depression and less likely to secure a job in the future.
Overall, researchers found that regular marijuana use, defined as daily use, has harmful consequences, regardless of the age at which individuals start using it. The results came from a study conducted on 1,792 Australian high school students who were followed for two decades. The study also revealed that many of the same issues associated with marijuana use were observed in both younger individuals and teenagers. Dr. Chan noted: "About two-thirds of people who use marijuana began regular use in their early twenties, and since adult use was more common than teenage use in the study, most of the harms linked to marijuana were more evident in the group that started using cannabis later." Those who began regular marijuana use as young adults represented the highest percentage of subsequent illegal drug use and tobacco use, and they were also more likely to develop alcohol addiction.
#### How Does Marijuana Use Affect the Brain?
Research and studies concerning marijuana's effects on the brain have produced a wide range of results, some positive and others negative, including:
1. Marijuana use is often linked to a decrease in intelligence. However, the short-term cognitive effects of heavy marijuana use are minimal, as a review of 69 studies involving 2,100 marijuana users found that even the minimal effects disappear quickly.
2. Marijuana is not a safe drug as some might believe; data from over 120 studies indicate that marijuana can be harmful to the mental health of teenagers and may lead to depression, behavioral problems, and addiction.
3. A recent study found that consuming marijuana even once is enough to alter sensitive areas of the brain.
4. Marijuana use can cause short-term paranoia in some individuals.
5. Regular marijuana use may lead to the loss of some gray matter in brain areas related to addiction.
