Cannabis use has become increasingly common around the globe, particularly as legalisation has expanded. However, the growing perception of cannabis as a benign substance is far from the truth. Studies continue to shed light on the significant impact cannabis can have on brain function, with both short- and long-term consequences. Whether used recently or over a lifetime, cannabis use carries substantial risks, especially regarding cognitive health.

The Long-Term Effects of Heavy Cannabis Use on the Brain: A recent large-scale study examined young adults with varying levels of cannabis use, revealing troubling insights into the drug’s impact. Heavy lifetime cannabis use, defined as more than 1,000 uses, was found to significantly affect brain activity during cognitive tasks, particularly those requiring working memory. Specifically, users showed lower activation in critical regions such as the prefrontal cortex and anterior insula — areas essential for logic, decision-making, and memory retention.

These findings suggest that cannabis can fundamentally alter brain architecture. The results align with evidence showing cortical thinning and reduced receptor availability in regions affected by cannabis. Neural adaptation caused by exposure to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, likely underpins these changes, which may carry lasting impacts on cognitive abilities.

How Recent Cannabis Use Impairs Brain Function: For individuals who have recently consumed cannabis, brain activation during tasks requiring mental effort also declines. A key finding is that heavy users continued to display reduced working memory function even when they abstained from cannabis before testing, emphasising the drug’s lingering effects on brain health. Those who used cannabis recently also exhibited compromised brain function associated with social processing, hinting at deficits in understanding and responding to social cues effectively.

Cognitive Domains Most Affected by Cannabis: Research highlights that brain functions tied to working memory, logical reasoning, and language are the most severely impacted by cannabis use. These functions are critical for academic success, professional productivity, and maintaining healthy relationships. The diminished brain activation observed in these areas may contribute to poor decision-making, reduced problem-solving abilities, and an overall decline in cognitive performance.

Psychosocial Risks Tied to Cannabis Use: The study also links cannabis use with deficits in the theory of mind – the ability to empathise and understand others’ mental states. This, in part, explains cannabis’ association with heightened risks of developing mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia. Altered brain function in areas responsible for processing emotions and social cues could lead to impaired interpersonal relationships, social withdrawal, and the inability to maintain productive community involvement.

The Broader Implications for Health and Society: As cannabis products become more potent and accessible, the societal risks increase. Heavy and frequent cannabis use has already been related to higher rates of motor vehicle crashes, cardiovascular complications, and a rise in cannabis use disorder. The misconceptions surrounding the safety of cannabis are not only inaccurate but potentially harmful, leaving individuals vulnerable to long-lasting consequences.

This research underscores the fact that the negative outcomes of cannabis are neither short-term nor fleeting. Its impact on critical brain regions can persist over years, deeply affecting individuals and imposing broader public health burdens.

Final Thoughts: The evidence leaves no doubt – cannabis use poses serious risks to brain health and cognitive functioning. Heavy lifetime use significantly diminishes mental clarity, logical reasoning, and social comprehension, while recent use further exacerbates these effects. Despite efforts to normalise cannabis use, studies reveal a stark reality that must not be ignored. Educating communities on these risks is essential to addressing the growing prevalence of cannabis use and its damaging consequences.

Source: JAMA Network

“It’s just weed” – a dangerously casual dismissal that masks a sobering reality. As cannabis legalisation sweeps across continents and dispensaries multiply on street corners, a study of 11.6 million people has shattered the myth of marijuana’s harmlessness. The findings are stark: cannabis addiction isn’t just disrupting lives – it’s ending them prematurely.

The numbers are in, and they’re damning. After tracking 11.6 million people, the verdict is clear: get hospitalised for cannabis addiction, and your chance of death triples. Forget weekend joints or casual puffs – we’re talking about the dark reality of addiction that’s gripping an explosive number of heavy users. Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) isn’t just some clinical label – it’s becoming a death sentence for thousands.

Death by the Numbers: A Shocking Reality: Within just five years, 3,770 CUD patients died – a staggering 3.5% mortality rate that’s nearly triple the general population. Hospital cases have exploded from 456 to 3,263 annually, a six-fold surge that shows no signs of slowing. These aren’t just statistics; they’re gravestones.

Ontario’s legalisation of medical cannabis in 2015, followed by recreational legalisation in 2018, set the stage for this mortality surge. The transition from illegal to legal status brought stronger products, easier access, and a dangerous perception of safety. Death certificates tell the story – what started as a trickle of CUD-related deaths has become a flood.

Behind these cold numbers lies an even more chilling reality: these aren’t elderly patients in their twilight years. The average age is just 29.9 years – young lives cut tragically short. Even more surprising? Women make up 62.5% of cases, shattering another cannabis myth about male-dominated usage patterns.

The study’s statistical power comes from its unprecedented scale – 11.6 million people tracked over five years. Even excluding individuals with prior mental health or substance issues, CUD patients still died at 2.6 times the normal rate. Clean medical history offered no protection against cannabis addiction’s lethal grip.

The Ways Cannabis Addiction Kills: Death by cannabis addiction follows clear, tragic patterns. Suicide leads the pack with a shocking 9.7-fold increase in risk – the single largest mortality spike identified in the study. THC’s impact on mental health isn’t subtle – it rewires reward pathways, amplifies anxiety, and can trigger or worsen underlying psychiatric conditions. When combined with social isolation and the shame often accompanying addiction, the result is lethal.

Trauma deaths follow close behind, with CUD patients dying in accidents at 4.6 times the normal rate. THC impairs motor coordination, delays reaction time, and distorts perception. Whether it’s car crashes, workplace accidents, or fatal falls, cannabis intoxication turns ordinary situations deadly. These deaths cluster around peak usage times – evening and late night hours when inhibition is lowest and risk-taking highest.

Opioid poisoning claims CUD patients at five times the normal rate, while other drug poisonings kill at 4.6 times the baseline. The data demolishes another myth – that cannabis helps people stay away from harder drugs. Instead, CUD often serves as a gateway to deadlier substances, particularly in patients seeking to self-medicate underlying conditions.

The high rate of lung cancer deaths – 3.8 times the normal rate – shatters final illusions about cannabis safety. While the industry pushes the narrative that cannabis smoke is somehow safer than tobacco, oncologists see a different reality. Cannabis smokers tend to hold smoke longer, inhale deeper, and expose their lungs to higher temperatures. The result? Accelerated development of lung diseases, particularly in chronic heavy users.

The “Lesser Evil” Fallacy: The cannabis industry loves pointing out that their drug kills fewer people than alcohol or opioids. It’s true – alcohol dependency carries 1.3 times more risk, stimulants 1.7 times, and opioids 2.2 times. But this isn’t a competition for most deadly substance – it’s a wake-up call about a drug we’ve systematically underestimated.

Their marketing playbook revolves around positioning weed as the safer choice – safer than alcohol, safer than opioids, safer than everything. But when your drug kills at rates approaching those of alcohol abuse, being “slightly less lethal” isn’t the win they think it is.

More disturbing is how these mortality rates interact with usage patterns. While alcohol and opioid addictions often take decades to develop, CUD can grip users in months. The speed of addiction, combined with the young age of users, means these death rates have nowhere to go but up. Today’s CUD patients haven’t had time to develop the full range of chronic health impacts. We’re seeing just the beginning of this mortality curve.

A Perfect Storm of Vulnerability: The demographic pattern of CUD deaths exposes uncomfortable truths about who’s most at risk. Nearly one-third of victims come from the poorest neighbourhoods, where healthcare access is limited and support systems are strained. The study found that patients in the lowest income quintile died at rates significantly higher than their wealthier counterparts, even when controlling for other health factors.

Previous emergency visits paint a picture of a healthcare system failing its most vulnerable. Thirty-nine percent had prior substance-related ER visits, while 35% had been hospitalised for mental health issues. These weren’t sudden crises; they were slow-motion train wrecks that the medical establishment watched happen. Each emergency visit represented a missed opportunity for intervention, a chance to break the cycle before it turned lethal.

The Hidden Health Crisis: The physical toll of CUD devastates the body from multiple angles. Patients show dramatically higher rates of hypertension (8.0% vs 6.6%), asthma (25.9% vs 18.7%), and COPD (1.6% vs 0.4%) compared to the general population. Each condition amplifies the others – respiratory problems worsen heart conditions, cardiovascular issues complicate breathing disorders, creating a cascade of failing health that pushes patients closer to death.

Cannabis companies aggressively market their products while this health crisis unfolds. Their marketing teams target younger users with stronger products, pushing THC levels beyond anything seen in medical research. Right now, 17.7 million Americans hit cannabis daily – outstripping daily alcohol use. The industry celebrates this milestone while emergency rooms fill with the consequences.

The Price of Inaction: Our casual attitude toward cannabis addiction carries a body count. Every delay in addressing CUD as a serious medical condition costs more young lives. These aren’t distant statistics – they’re people in their prime years, dying at rates up to six times higher than their peers. The time for viewing cannabis addiction as “just a bad habit” is over. Each day we wait, more death certificates list CUD as a contributing factor.

The choice isn’t about legalisation anymore – that debate is settled. It’s about acknowledging an uncomfortable truth: cannabis addiction kills. As potency soars and access expands, how many more lives will we sacrifice to the myth that weed can’t hurt you? The evidence is clear. The deaths are real. The time to act is now. Source: (JAMA – Network)

Recent research has fundamentally challenged our understanding of cannabis’s long-term cognitive effects, with emerging evidence suggesting far more complex and persistent impacts than previously understood. A groundbreaking 2025 study from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, coupled with decades-long longitudinal research from New Zealand, has revealed patterns of memory impairment that persist long after cessation of use, raising serious questions about the drug’s long-term safety profile.

The Evolution of Cannabis Use and Potency

• THC potency has more than doubled since the 1970s
• Daily users now number in millions (US)
• UK has seen exponential growth in cannabis seizures

The latter half of the twentieth century witnessed an unprecedented surge in cannabis availability and consumption across the Western world. What began as a countercultural phenomenon has evolved into a mainstream recreational substance, with scientific understanding struggling to keep pace with rapidly changing usage patterns and increasing potency.

The transformation of cannabis potency represents one of the most significant shifts in the drug’s history. Analysis of seizure data reveals that the average THC concentration has more than doubled from 1.50% in 1977 to 3.65% by 1987. Modern high-potency varieties, particularly seedless Sinsemilla, now regularly exceed 7% THC concentration. This escalation in potency coincides with dramatic increases in consumption patterns. Current estimates indicate over 29 million users in the United States alone, with more than 7 million consuming cannabis daily.

The United Kingdom presents a parallel trend, with market research indicating 12% of males and 9% of females aged 15-25 reporting cannabis use. More telling is the seven-fold increase in cannabis seizures to 45,000 kg between 1978-1988, suggesting a substantial expansion of the market. These figures likely underestimate current usage, given the increasing legalisation and normalisation of cannabis consumption.

The Cognitive Impact: Beyond Simple Memory Loss

• Heavy users (>1000 lifetime uses) show 5.5 point IQ decline
• Impact exceeds both tobacco and alcohol’s cognitive effects
• 27% of users fall into moderate-to-heavy use categories

The University of Colorado’s comprehensive study of 1,003 young adults aged 22-36 has revealed patterns of cognitive impairment that extend far beyond traditional concerns about short-term memory loss. The research identified distinct user categories, with 9% classified as heavy users (more than 1,000 lifetime uses), 18% as moderate users (10-999 times), and 73% as nonusers or minimal users (fewer than 10 times).

The Dunedin, New Zealand Longitudinal Study provides even more compelling evidence through its tracking of individuals from birth to age 45. This research reveals that heavy cannabis users experienced an average IQ decline of 5.5 points from childhood to midlife, a finding made more significant when contrasted with nonusers who showed a slight increase of 0.7 points. For context, this decline exceeds that observed in long-term tobacco users (1.5 points) and long-term alcohol users (0.5 points), challenging the common assertion that cannabis poses fewer cognitive risks than legal substances.

Neurobiological Mechanisms and Structural Changes: Recent neuroimaging studies have identified specific structural alterations in the brains of long-term cannabis users, particularly in the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory formation and cognitive processing. The research reveals reduced grey matter volume in multiple hippocampal subregions, including the CA1 region, molecular layer, and dentate gyrus. These changes appear most pronounced when comparing heavy users to both never-users and recreational users.

The significance of these structural changes extends beyond mere volume reduction. The hippocampus contains a high density of cannabinoid receptors, making it particularly susceptible to long-term cannabis exposure. Research suggests these structural alterations may represent a neurobiological mechanism underlying the observed cognitive deficits, though the relationship appears more complex than initially theorised.

Working Memory and Daily Function

• Deficits persist after 6 weeks of monitored abstinence
• Impacts range from basic conversation to complex problem-solving
• Effects most pronounced during critical developmental periods

Working memory, often described as the brain’s notepad, proves particularly vulnerable to cannabis’s effects. This system, essential for temporarily holding and manipulating information, shows significant impairment in heavy users. The impact extends beyond laboratory tests to real-world functions, affecting activities ranging from following conversations to complex problem-solving.

Research indicates that these working memory deficits persist even after extended periods of abstinence. A controlled study following cannabis-dependent adolescents through six weeks of monitored abstinence found that while some improvement occurred, significant deficits remained compared to control groups. This persistence suggests that heavy cannabis use during critical developmental periods may lead to lasting alterations in cognitive processing systems.

Processing Speed and Learning Capacity: Beyond memory effects, cannabis appears to significantly impact processing speed and learning capacity. The University of Colorado study identified reduced brain activity during cognitive tasks, particularly in regions responsible for information processing and decision-making. This reduction in processing speed manifests in slower reaction times, decreased ability to quickly assimilate new information, and difficulties in maintaining attention during complex tasks.

The learning implications prove particularly concerning. Heavy users demonstrate reduced capacity for acquiring and retaining new information, a deficit that persists even after controlling for baseline cognitive ability and educational background. This impairment in learning capacity raises serious questions about the impact of cannabis use on educational and professional development, particularly for young users.

The Abstinence Paradox: One of the most troubling findings emerging from recent research concerns the persistence of cognitive deficits after cessation of cannabis use. The common assumption that cognitive function fully recovers after stopping cannabis use appears increasingly questionable. Studies of former heavy users (“quitters”) reveal ongoing cognitive deficits, particularly in memory and processing speed, even after extended periods of abstinence.

The Schwarz study, focusing on cannabis-dependent adolescents, found that while some cognitive improvement occurred during six weeks of monitored abstinence, significant deficits remained compared to control groups. This persistence of cognitive impairment suggests that heavy cannabis use may lead to lasting alterations in brain function, particularly when use occurs during critical developmental periods.

Vulnerability Factors and Risk Assessment

• Use before age 18 correlates with severe cognitive deficits
• Regular use threshold: 4+ days per week
• Lifetime exposure over 1,000 uses indicates significant risk

Research has identified several key factors that appear to increase vulnerability to cannabis-related cognitive impairment. Early onset of use, particularly before age 18, correlates with more severe and persistent cognitive deficits. Regular use, defined as four or more days per week, appears to cross a threshold for increased risk of permanent impairment. The consumption of high-potency products and cumulative lifetime exposure exceeding 1,000 uses also emerge as significant risk factors.

Individual differences in vulnerability remain poorly understood. Genetic factors, pre-existing cognitive function, and concurrent substance use may all modulate the impact of cannabis on cognitive function. This variability in individual response complicates risk assessment and suggests the need for personalised approaches to prevention and intervention.

Clinical Implications and Treatment Considerations: The emerging understanding of cannabis’s cognitive effects has significant implications for clinical practice. The persistence of cognitive deficits after cessation suggests the need for comprehensive cognitive assessment in treatment planning. Clinicians must consider the potential impact of these deficits on treatment engagement and success, particularly in cognitive-behavioural interventions requiring intact executive function.

The relationship between cannabis-related cognitive impairment and mental health outcomes requires particular attention. Research suggests that cognitive deficits may compound existing mental health issues and potentially increase vulnerability to conditions such as anxiety and depression. This interaction between cognitive impairment and mental health emphasises the need for integrated treatment approaches.

Public Health and Policy Implications: The accumulating evidence of persistent cognitive effects challenges current public health messaging around cannabis use. The common perception of cannabis as a relatively harmless substance requires serious reconsideration, particularly regarding long-term cognitive risks. Public health initiatives must balance acknowledging the legitimate medical applications of cannabis while accurately conveying the risks of regular recreational use.

The increasing potency of available cannabis products adds urgency to this public health challenge. The dramatic increase in THC concentration over recent decades suggests that historical studies may underestimate the cognitive risks posed by contemporary cannabis products. This evolution in product potency necessitates updated research and revised risk assessments.

Future Research Directions: Several critical questions remain unanswered and require further investigation. The relationship between cannabis use and early-onset dementia represents a particularly urgent area for research, given the aging population of long-term cannabis users. The potential for cognitive recovery after cessation, particularly in heavy users, requires longer-term follow-up studies.

The interaction between cannabis use and other risk factors for cognitive decline, including genetics, lifestyle factors, and concurrent substance use, needs more detailed examination. Additionally, the impact of different cannabis consumption methods and varying THC/CBD ratios on cognitive outcomes requires systematic investigation.

Closing Considerations: The science is clear: heavy cannabis use rewires memory function, and not for the better. Decades of research have demolished the myth of cannabis as a consequence-free substance. The brain pays a price for sustained exposure, particularly in memory and cognitive processing. Regular users can’t simply quit and reset – the damage often persists.

We must confront an uncomfortable truth: increasing potency and widespread availability have created a cognitive time bomb. Recreational users might dodge the bullet, but heavy users face a stark reality of potentially permanent mental fog. Public policy lags dangerously behind the evidence. We need better education, smarter intervention strategies, and honest conversations about the real costs of long-term use.

The next decade will prove critical. We’re watching an unprecedented experiment unfold as millions embrace a substance whose long-term effects we’re only beginning to grasp. Ignore the mounting evidence of cannabis’s cognitive toll, and we risk creating a generation that literally cannot remember why they should have paid attention. (Source: WRD News)

Cannabis & Driving – Whilst old school sobriety tests will confirm intoxication in most instances, the 'lollipop – lick sticks’ ensures the so called 'seasoned' users and those who call their intoxicating substance ‘medicinal’ are also taken off the road. No one should drive any vehicle intoxicated - ever.

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1. Rising Need for Roadside Drug Testing
2. Cannabis and Driving: Victorian Law Change for ‘Medicinal’ Cannabis Users – But is Road Safety Seriously Compromised?

Evidence Mounting That Connects Cannabis to Youth Depression and Suicide

Publication: Psychiatric News Volume 60, Number 1

With researchers continuing to find that cannabis in all its forms is helping fuel the youth depression and suicide epidemic, psychiatrists have a role to play in assessing and treating cannabis use—and countering disinformation.

There is mounting evidence that young people’s use of cannabis is fuelling depression and suicide in this population, according to experts who recently spoke during a session at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s annual meeting.

“Expanded cannabis product offerings, increasing potency, and an increase in state and local legalization laws are posing unprecedented exposure to young people during a critical period of brain development,” said esse D. Hinckley, M.D., Ph.D.J, associate clinical professor of psychiatry and co-founder of the addiction biology laboratory at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

When it comes to youth, “cannabis prevention and early intervention are suicide prevention,” Jesse D. Hinckley, M.D., Ph.D., said. “There’s an even greater need for these programs in states that have passed recreational or medical cannabis laws, where youth cannabis use is more prevalent.”

Research has found a strong correlation between cannabis use and depression and suicidality in adults, and although the association is not as definitive in youth, Hinckley said that emerging data suggests that adolescents are similarly impacted.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among U.S. youth, accounting for one in five deaths in young people. Nearly one-third (30%) of female youth “seriously considered” suicide, while 13% attempted to die by suicide, according to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, as did 14% and 7% of male youth, respectively. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 20% of U.S. youth ages 12 to 17 experienced past-year major depressive disorder (MDD) in 2021.

“Cannabis has changed as legalization has progressed,” Hinckley said. “The biggest impact has been in the concentration or percentage of THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] within products, the types of products available, and the frequency of use of concentrates rather than [less-potent] flower-based products.”

Tests performed on confiscated cannabis have found it contains 10 times greater THC, the psychoactive compound that makes users feel high, than in the late 1970s. Back then, flower products were around 1% to 3% THC; as of 2023, they were 16% to 25% in most states, with one grower reportedly producing a plant that was 40% TCH. Concentrated products, such as vapes, edibles, and wax/dabs, are far more popular, and now routinely contain 60-90% THC, up from 20-30% a few decades prior.

“In other words, even products marketed as ‘concentrates’ 15 years ago weren’t as potent as many flower-based products are today,” Hinckley said.

Dose-Response Relationship: A study by Hinckley and colleagues issued by the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2023 examined the results of a survey of 10,123 U.S. adolescents who provided data on their demographics, substance use, depression, suicidality, and mental health. They compared adolescents based on their cannabis use and found that cannabis users were:

• 2.35 times more likely to have MDD, 3.32 times more likely to have a past-12-month major depressive episode, and more likely to have greater depression severity.
• 3.7 times more likely to report suicide attempt—and those increased odds remained even after researchers controlled for whether the youth had depression.
• More likely to report feelings of guilt, appetite problems, and suicidal ideation. (However, researchers found no difference between adolescent cannabis users and never-users on other common mental health symptoms, such as anhedonia, sleep problems, and fatigue.)

Hinckley and colleagues found a dose-response relationship, meaning that the greater the youth’s exposure to cannabis, the higher the odds of MDD, suicidality, and more severe depression. “For example, youth who used cannabis occasionally—once a month or less—in the past year were five times more likely to have attempted suicide than youth who did not use cannabis at all,” Hinckley said. “Meanwhile, youth who used cannabis one to two days a week or three to four days a week were seven and nine times more likely to have attempted suicide, respectively.”

Hinckley also reviewed several published meta-analyses and longitudinal studies on the topic that came to similar conclusions about the association. One study issued in Lancet Psychiatry by Edmund Silins and colleagues in 2014 found that daily users of cannabis before age 17 were nearly seven times more likely to have attempted suicide as an adult.

Hinckley said that overall, the data points to an increased need to screen all youth for suicidality as well as for cannabis use. When it comes to youth, “cannabis prevention and early intervention are suicide prevention,” Hinckley said. “There’s an even greater need for these programs in states that have passed recreational or medical cannabis laws, where youth cannabis use is more prevalent.”

With Legalization, Increasing Use: According to the 2024 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, cannabis use in recent decades by youth ages 12 to 17 has remained mostly flat yet substantial: 29% of 12th graders reported past-year cannabis use. However, this tells only part of the story. Expanding legalization has resulted in 43% of young adults 19 to 30 years old reporting past-year cannabis use in the 2024 MTF, amounting to a 40-year record.

“At age 18, our brains do not magically flip a switch and finish developing,” Hinckley said. “This is a population at risk, and [cannabis] use rates are still going up.”

Furthermore, in May 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice proposed reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, citing its “accepted medical use” and less potential for abuse-related harms than other Schedule I and II drugs. (APA opposes this rescheduling because of the potential to increase public acceptance and use, as well as lead to psychiatric harms.)

In 1995, just one state—California—had legalized cannabis, and only for medical use, noted Cristopher Joseph Hammond, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University. Now, the majority of U.S. states have legalized cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes.

“Along with that has come a dramatic explosion of commercialization,” Hammons said, “including novel products, formulations, and methods of administration of cannabinoids … such as concentrates, solid concentrates, edibles, beverages, and topical forms.”

For example, a newer psychoactive hemp derivative known as Delta-8-TCH was used by 12% of twelfth graders in 2024, according to the MTF, which assessed the product’s uptake for the first time that year. Altogether, the U.S. cannabis industry is expected to take in about $42 billion in revenue in 2024.

Hammond reviewed a study for which he and colleagues examined the impact of state cannabis laws on the 113,512 U.S. youth suicides (among 12- to 25-year-olds) reported from 2000 to 2019. He and colleagues found an overall suicide rate of 10.9 per 100,000 youth during that timeframe, but a rate of 12.8 deaths in states allowing medical use of cannabis. The rate climbed to 16.7 deaths per 100,000 in states allowing recreational cannabis. That translates to 5,000 youth suicide deaths that can be attributed to cannabis legalization laws, even after controlling for confounding variables, according to their study issued by the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2023.

Hammond said that there is a wide gulf between public perception and reality when it comes to cannabis’ impact on adolescent mental health. One recent study suggests psychiatrists have a role to play in educating young patients and their families on the subject, he said. Researchers recruited 150 parents and their children who were receiving treatment at mood disorders clinics in one of 11 states. They found that more than 75% of youth and 65% of their parents perceived cannabis and CBD to be safe and effective mental health treatments, with half of respondents believing that clinicians should be prescribing or recommending cannabis for their patients. (Source: https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.01.1.15)