According to the Substance Abuse and the Mental Health Services Administration, marijuana use among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women is going up. At the same time, the perception of the harms of marijuana use is declining. Increasingly, young people do not consider marijuana use a risky behavior.
According to the Substance Abuse and the Mental Health Services Administration, marijuana use among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women is going up. At the same time, the perception of the harms of marijuana use is declining. Increasingly, young people do not consider marijuana use a risky behavior.
Over the past few decades, the amount of THC in marijuana has steadily climbed; today’s marijuana has three times the concentration of THC compared to 25 years ago. The higher the THC amount, the stronger the effects on the brain. Marijuana use can have negative and long-term effects. It can cause permanent IQ loss as much as 8 points when people start using it at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting marijuana.
Information was provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
To learn more about marijuana and the effects on the adolescent brain please visit: WWW. SAMHSA.GOV. If you would like to learn more about substance use, misuse, abuse, or efforts in our community to reduce such, please visit Okmulgee County Consortium’s Facebook page or join us on the third Wednesday of each month at noon at the Moore Detention Center (111 S Alabama Ave. in Okmulgee).
