Last week, New Jersey began the sale of cannabis for recreational use, a decision that will affect how today’s youth perceive the substance. As our state embarks on this new path, I think it is important to have discussions with our children about the dangers marijuana use can pose to the developing brain.

In 2018, approximately 192 million people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 64 used cannabis recreationally. Young adults ages 18 to 25 accounted for 35 percent of that total, indicating that a significant number of users are adolescents and young adults whose brains are still in development.

Studies have shown that marijuana affects teens’ brain development, altering it in ways that could diminish their reasoning, decision-making and memory skills as they age. Brain scans of approximately 800 teenagers found that those who use marijuana tended to have an increased thinning of the cerebral cortex — the outer layer of the brain responsible for thought, perception and language.

PDFNJ’s public service campaigns

A recent article highlighted research of cannabis use and how it can influence the cognitive and psychological processes of adolescents. The research found that cannabis can impair memory and cognition with the impact linked to the age at which people started using the substance – the younger they were, the more impaired their executive functioning was. It also found that cannabis use during adolescence has been reported as a risk factor for developing psychotic experiences as well as schizophrenia.

We need to send a unified message that marijuana use can be very dangerous for a young person. Last year, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey media campaign focused on this issue. The campaign images are available in our Awareness Toolkit and can be customized to your organization’s needs.