Pubdate: Sun, 02 Jun 2013 Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) Copyright: 2013 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc Contact: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340 Author: Gary A. Emmett Note: Dr. Gary A. Emmett is a pediatrics professor at Thomas Jefferson University. FACTS ON EARLY MARIJUANA USE Changes in Brain Structure, Lower Iq, Memory Disorders Are Among the Effects. We often hear that marijuana isn't that dangerous. In reality, regular use of marijuana may permanently damage a teen's developing brain, and could lead to a reduction in IQ, other drug use, and mental health issues. I heard a frightening lecture by Sharon Levy of Children's Hospital Boston about the effect of marijuana on the developing brain last month at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Washington, DC. Smoking marijuana has all the known side effects of smoking tobacco except nicotine addiction. So a heavy and early smoker of marijuana raises the odds of getting chronic lung disease and cancer. But the active ingredients in marijuana are dozens of cannabinoids, of which the best known is THC. The active ingredient of marijuana 15 years ago was 4 percent of the total breathed in, but through careful crossbreeding, cultivators have achieved an average of 9 percent or more. Street marijuana is now more than twice as strong as it was 15 years ago. The cannabinoids affect the brain's pleasure centers causing relaxation followed by excitation, but because these active drugs are fat-soluble (get into body fat), the relaxation extends for a longer time, and when the subsequent excitation (acting hyperactively) occurs, the teen does not relate it to using the drug. One problem with the legalization of marijuana is that it will become even more available to younger smokers, just as the legalization of alcohol led to wider use in teens. Other effects of early marijuana use are: Early marijuana users have less white matter in their brains and the total size of the brain is smaller. White matter affects how the brain learns. There are fewer connections of one brain cell to another, resulting in slowing thinking Early use is strongly linked to schizophrenia and other psychotic and anxiety disorders. Heavy and/or prolonged use leads to lower IQ's and serious memory disorders. A final note: smoking marijuana leads to poor driving. Teens drive poorly even when not intoxicated. Marijuana stays in the urine for up to 3 weeks. If your teen has an accident (very common) and has marijuana in the urine, he or she may be convicted of driving while intoxicated whether they were intoxicated or not. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom