New research suggests that marijuana use during adolescence may cause long-term damage to the immune system, resulting in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis in adulthood. 

Of course, people who have never touched marijuana can develop these diseases, but marijuana use during adolescence seems to promote a susceptibility.

The Study – What They Did

Over 10 days, Italian scientists injected mice with THC, the main active component of marijuana. The mice were at a life-cycle stage that corresponded to adolescence in humans (about 12-18 years).

A second group of mice were injected with a placebo.

(Mice are used in scientific experiments because of their genetic and biological similarity to humans.)

After the 10 days of treatment, the mice were left to go about their business for about two months. At this time, they had reached adulthood.

What They Found

The findings, published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, revealed that the THC in adolescent mice triggered severe alterations in the functioning of their immune system.

These dysfunctions lasted long after the marijuana abuse stopped.

 As explained by John Wherry, Ph.D, the Deputy Editor of the journal, ‘The immune system is characterised by an impressive ability to ‘remember’ previous exposures and changes during the period of immune system development, especially early in life and can have important long-term consequences.’

Adolescence is a highly sensitive period for the development of key brain and body processes. Marijuana use during this critical time has dramatic irreversible consequences. These effects may not be evident immediately, but once the damage is done, it’s done.

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It has been proven beyond doubt that frequent marijuana use damages the brains of teenagers and young adults.

Throughout adolescence and into the mid-20s, the brain continues to develop in ways that are critical for higher-order thinking and executive functioning (memory, reasoning, problem solving). White matter, which is important for neural efficiency, increases in quality and volume into the early 30s.

Given that adolescence is such an important developmental period for the brain, exposure to drugs during this time has a greater impact on the brain than it does during adulthood.

Psychologists have noted the effects to include cognitive decline, poor attention and memory and diminished IQ.

‘It needs to be emphasised that regular cannabis use, which we consider once a week, is not safe and may result in addiction and neurocognitive damage, especially in youth.’ Dr Krista Lisdahl, a director of the brain imaging and neuropsychology lab at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

In a 2012 longitudinal study of 1037 participants who were followed from birth to age 38, it was found that those who regularly used marijuana lost on average of 5.8 IQ points by the time they reach adulthood. This was compared to those who never regularly used marijuana whose IQ slightly increased by 0.8 IQ points from childhood to adulthood.

The physiological evidence is clear.

Brain scans of regular marijuana users show significant structural changes including abnormalities in the brain’s gray matter. These abnormalities are associated with reduced cognitive function, increased mood symptoms and poor memory. These changes have been found in users as young as 16 and were not related to major medical conditions, prenatal drug exposure, developmental delays and learning disabilities.

These findings are not intended to push against the legalisation of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Rather, it should highlight the need to implement stringent conditions on access.

‘When considering legalization, policymakers need to address ways to prevent easy access to marijuana and provide additional treatment funding for adolescent and young adult users,’ Lisdahl explained.

In considering legalisation of the marijuana, weight also needs to be given to regulating the levels of psychoactivetetrahydrocannabinol (THC – the chemical responsible for the majority of marijuana’s psychological effects) to reduce the potential neurocognitive effects.

There is research evidence that has linked frequent use of high levels of THC to depression, anxiety and psychosis.

According to Dr Alan Budney of the Department of Psychiatry at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, ‘Recent studies suggest that this relationship between marijuana and mental illness may be moderated by how often marijuana is used and potency of the substance. Unfortunately, much of what we know from earlier research is based on smoking marijuana with much lower doses of THC than are commonly used today.’

In a 2013 study of over 17,482 teenagers, marijuana use was found to be higher among teenagers from countries that had a more accepting attitude towards medical marijuana. Greater tolerance of marijuana for medicinal purposes seems to promote a greater tolerance for the drug generally, at least by adolescents, possibly because of a diminished perception of the risks associated with the drug.

The risks of marijuana on the developing brain have been extensively documented. The debate around the legalisation of marijuana for medicinal purposes is in full swing. Should this end on medicinal marijuana being approved, research points to the importance of consideration being given to restricting access, reducing the potency of THC and raising awareness, particularly in adolescents, on the risks of recreational use.

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