In my experience as a psychiatrist treating teenage alcoholism and teenage drug abuse. I find that parents of teens are often too permissive about their teen smoking weed. Many parents of teens smoked pot when they themselves were teenagers, but pot was very different a generation ago.
Here are 10 negative effects of weed:
1. Marijuana today is much more potent than in the 1960′s and 70′s.
2. Marijuana has been shown to damage attention, learning, and memory in the developing brain.
3. “Smoking weed “is considered a gateway using other drugs. For example, a 2002 SAMHSA study showed that teens who smoked marijuana in their early teens were more likely to use heroin and cocaine later.
4. “Smoking weed” on a frequent basis leads to apathy.
5. Chronic use leads to a physical craving as well as tolerance (needing more to get the same effect) and there are withdrawal symptoms when you “stop smoking weed“.
6. Marijuana use damages your lungs (it is an irritant).
7. Marijuana use lowers fertility.
8. It lowers immunity and increases the risk of infection.
9. It is the only drug that has been associated with triggering an underlying psychotic disorder.
10. To stop smoking weed on your own is actually very tough if you have been a chronic user.
If you are an alcoholic parent and your teen is genetically predisposed to substance abuse, you should pay extra attention or you could end up with a much more serious drug problem with your teen. Most teenage alcoholism I treat is accompanied by teenage drug use (most often marijuana use).
My message to parents is to quit being relaxed about your teen smoking pot because it has negative effects on the developing brain, your teen’s physical health, as well as lowering their ambition and drive which has huge implications for their ability to succeed in today’s competitive world.
Here are 10 negative effects of weed:
1. Marijuana today is much more potent than in the 1960′s and 70′s.
2. Marijuana has been shown to damage attention, learning, and memory in the developing brain.
3. “Smoking weed “is considered a gateway using other drugs. For example, a 2002 SAMHSA study showed that teens who smoked marijuana in their early teens were more likely to use heroin and cocaine later.
4. “Smoking weed” on a frequent basis leads to apathy.
5. Chronic use leads to a physical craving as well as tolerance (needing more to get the same effect) and there are withdrawal symptoms when you “stop smoking weed“.
6. Marijuana use damages your lungs (it is an irritant).
7. Marijuana use lowers fertility.
8. It lowers immunity and increases the risk of infection.
9. It is the only drug that has been associated with triggering an underlying psychotic disorder.
10. To stop smoking weed on your own is actually very tough if you have been a chronic user.
If you are an alcoholic parent and your teen is genetically predisposed to substance abuse, you should pay extra attention or you could end up with a much more serious drug problem with your teen. Most teenage alcoholism I treat is accompanied by teenage drug use (most often marijuana use).
My message to parents is to quit being relaxed about your teen smoking pot because it has negative effects on the developing brain, your teen’s physical health, as well as lowering their ambition and drive which has huge implications for their ability to succeed in today’s competitive world.