Researchers have discovered that adolescents aged sixteen and seventeen are three-and-a-half times more likely to acquire a cannabis addiction than adults.
Scientists at King’s College London have urged parents to “actively prevent” their adolescents from consuming marijuana.
Because their brains were still maturing and kids had an ‘evolving sense of identity,’ they were seen to be at a greater risk of being hooked.
The minimum age to purchase cannabis in the United Places is 21, but only in states where it is legal.
In the study, which was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, researchers observed 274 individuals who used cannabis approximately four times each week.
The sample included 76 16- to 17-year-olds and 71 26- to 29-year-olds who had used the substance.
Over the course of three months, individuals filled out questionnaires regarding the frequency of their cannabis use and the presence of mental health symptoms.
Researchers discovered that adolescents who smoked cannabis were 3.5 times more likely to develop an addiction than adults.
‘Cannabis use disorder’ is characterized by symptoms such as a craving for the drug, its usage leading to failures in school or job, a heightened tolerance, and its use causing interpersonal problems.
Half of the examined adolescents (38 individuals) displayed at least six signs of this illness, placing them in the addiction category.
Among adults, this proportion was less than a fifth (13 people).
Dr. William Lawn, an addiction expert who conducted the study, stated: ‘Given that adolescents are more likely than adults to experience mental health issues, they should be actively discouraged from using cannabis regularly.
Teenagers should be informed of the reality of cannabis addiction because they appear to be more susceptible to it than adults.
‘The influence of adolescent cannabis usage on cognitive performance or sadness and anxiety may be smaller than hypothesized.
However, we also reproduced earlier research indicating that cannabis addiction may exacerbate subclinical mental health symptoms.
The researchers hypothesized that adolescents may be more susceptible to cannabis addiction since their brains are less mature.
It may also be a result of their “developing sense of identity” and “more changeable” social lives.
The study also found that neither adolescent nor adult cannabis users were more likely to exhibit signs of despair or anxiety.
Professor Val Curran, UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, UCL Psychology & Language Sciences, the study’s senior author, stated, “Our findings imply that schools should teach students more about the risk of cannabis addiction, which has been neglected in drugs education.”
Cannabis addiction is a serious problem in and of itself, but it can also increase the risk of other mental health issues.
Therefore, adolescents should be advised of their elevated risk for addiction.
