Marijuana use among adolescents has increased in states in which adult recreational use of marijuana has become legal. A recent study looked at teens in California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine and found a connection between legalized adult use and a surge in marijuana use among teens.

The legalization of recreational marijuana could affect how today’s youth perceive the substance. As we are now a few months into New Jersey’s legalization of the recreational use of marijuana, it is important to ensure that today’s youth and their families understand the dangers of marijuana use among adolescents.

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

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey focused on this issue last year with a media campaign raising awareness of the dangers of adolescent marijuana use. If you would like to download any of these prevention messages, please visit PDFNJ’s Awareness Toolkit.  Any of the images are customizable to your organization’s needs.