Power of Parents ® High School Handbook
Chapter 7
Cannabis and Youth Young people's brains continue to develop until their mid-20s. As a result, cannabis affects them differently than adults. As you read on page 10, research has shown teens who use cannabis are more likely to report decreases in brain volume, poorer attention, verbal skills, and self-regulatory behaviors.
WHY THEY USE
According to research, here are some of the reasons teens have told us why they use cannabis:
• To get more of a high or “drunk” feeling (“cross-faded”) • To relax or reduce stress; it feels good • To counteract the side effects of drinking alcohol (e.g., reduce spinning, vomiting, headache) • Coping strategy (e.g., trouble in personal life) • Social anxiety or peer pressure
Not all teens use cannabis, and here are some reasons they told us they don't:
WHY THEY DON’T
• To avoid greening out (where they get so high they pass out) or losing control • Feeling sick (e.g., nausea, vomiting), anxious, or paranoid • It makes their heart race • They have responsibilities and it may lead to poor decisions • It makes them feel tired the next morning • It makes it difficult to do well in school • Cannabis is illegal in ALL states for individuals under 21
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