Power of Parents ® High School Handbook
Chapter 2
Like alcohol, cannabis affects judgment, coordination, and reaction time, making activities like driving especially dangerous. However, long term cannabis use is shown to directly interfere with brain development in ways that can last beyond the teen years:
Mood and mental health suffer, with frequent use linked to increased anxiety, and depression.
Memory and learning decline, making it harder to focus, retain information, and do well in school.
Reaction time slows, increasing the risk of accidents, poor decision-making, and trouble with activities that require quick thinking.
Inhaling cannabis— whether through smoking or vaping— can irritate the lungs, making breathing more difficult.
Because the brain is still developing into the mid-20s, alcohol and cannabis use during adolescence can permanently alter brain pathways responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation. What may seem like a harmless choice now can have long-term consequences.
Breaking News: Recent studies show that alcohol combined with cannabis results in greater harm than alcohol alone. Some of the noteworthy findings include: • Teens experience 2 to 3 times the number of consequences on nights when they mix these drugs. • Teens are more likely to “blackout” (when the individual cannot recall parts of or the whole evening) when they mix substances. • On a night when a teen blacks out, they are more likely to experience more frequent and severe consequences (such as arrest, sexual assault, injury that requires hospitalization, etc).
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