New research is sounding the alarm on teen cannabis use and mental health risk. Here’s what you need to know: Study tracked teens through age 26 Results showed doubled risk for psychosis and bipolar disorder in teen users ️ The developing brain is uniquely vulnerable to THC exposure ️ This is why cannabis medicine physicians distinguish between adult therapeutic use and adolescent recreational use ️ Age-appropriate care matters As a physician who has treated over 30,000 patients, I firmly believe cannabis has real medical value for adults. But that belief comes with a responsibility to be honest: the teen brain is still under construction, and we need to protect it. Talk to your kids. Talk to your doctor. Get the facts. New research links teen cannabis use to doubled psychosis and bipolar risk by age 26. The developing brain deserves different rules than the adult brain.
Cannabis Use by Teenagers Doubles Their Risk of Developing Psychotic and Bipolar Disorders
With cannabis potency at historic highs, this study underscores that adolescent brains are uniquely vulnerable to THC exposure, and parents should understand the psychiatric risks before dismissing cannabis as harmless. Data from a JAMA Health Forum study of nearly half a million teenagers demonstrates that adolescent cannabis use doubles the risk of psychotic and bipolar disorder diagnoses by early adulthood. The association persisted across demographic subgroups and was temporally consistent, with cannabis use preceding psychiatric diagnoses by roughly two years on average.