Dr. Chris Phillips
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Marijuana​

​Marijuana


  • Fact Sheet: Marijuana-Under 21 in Colorado (Laws and Penalties from the Colorado State Statutes)
  • CDPHE Marijuana Shareable Resources
  • How Marijuana Undermines Student Learning
  • Consequences of Adolescent Marijuana Use
  • Marijuana Tips for Teens
  • Marijuana Facts for Teens

Multimedia Resources
  • Marijuana Use while Pregnant or Breastfeeding (43 seconds) explains why avoiding marijuana can give your baby a healthier start in life. Download the video (MP4 | 74 MB).
  • Build a Brain (60 Seconds) is a visually exciting journey through the brain to show adults how marijuana use can impact memory, brain development, and concentration. Download the video (MP4 | 25 MB).
    • 7 Ways Marijuana Can Affect Your Brain Health (PDF | 901 KB)
  • Virtual Assistant (60 Seconds) delivers the message of marijuana risks through a lighthearted conversation, appealing to the young adult audience. Download the video (MP4 | 23 MB).

Know the Risks of Marijuana
  • Marijuana use comes with real risks that can impact a person’s health and life.
  • Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in the U.S. and its use is growing. Marijuana use among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women is going up. At the same time, the perception of how harmful marijuana use can be is declining. Increasingly, young people today do not consider marijuana use a risky behavior.
  • But there are real risks for people who use marijuana, especially youth and young adults, and women who are pregnant or nursing. Today’s marijuana is stronger than ever before. People can and do become addicted to marijuana.

Approximately 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted. When they start before age 18, the rate of addiction rises to 1 in 6.

Long-Term Marijuana Risks
Marijuana use can have negative and long-term effects:
  • Brain health: Marijuana can cause permanent IQ loss of 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.
  • Mental health: Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes. It is not known, however, if marijuana use is the cause of these conditions.
  • Athletic Performance: Research shows that marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination, which can harm athletic performance.
  • Driving: People who drive under the influence of marijuana can experience dangerous effects: slower reactions, lane weaving, decreased coordination, and difficulty reacting to signals and sounds on the road.
  • Baby’s health and development: Marijuana use during pregnancy may cause fetal growth restriction, premature birth, stillbirth, and problems with brain development, resulting in hyperactivity and poor cognitive function. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other chemicals from marijuana can also be passed from a mother to her baby through breast milk, further impacting a child’s healthy development.
  • Daily life: Using marijuana can affect performance and how well people do in life. Research shows that people who use marijuana are more likely to have relationship problems, worse educational outcomes, lower career achievement, and reduced life satisfaction.

Marijuana Addiction
Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is addictive. Research shows that:
  • 1-in-6 people who start using the drug before the age of 18 can become addicted.
  • 1-in-10 adults who use the drug can become addicted.
  • Marijuana and THC remain illegal at the federal level, even though many states have legalized its use. In states where legal, marijuana is a fast-growing industry with sales to individuals over 21 in retail stores, wineries, breweries, coffee shops, dispensaries, online, as well as grown at home.
  • 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—likely contributing to increased rates of marijuana-related emergency room visits. While there is no research yet on how higher potency affects the long-term risks of marijuana use, more THC is likely to lead to higher rates of dependency and addiction.

About Marijuana
  • Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug that contains close to 500 chemicals, including THC, a mind-altering compound that causes harmful health effects.
  • People smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes, in pipes or water pipes, in blunts, and by using vaporizers that pull THC from the marijuana. Marijuana can also be mixed in food (edibles), such as brownies, cookies, and candy, or brewed as a tea. People also smoke or eat different forms of marijuana extracts, which deliver a large amount of THC and can be potentially more dangerous.
Rise of Marijuana Use
  • Today, marijuana use is on the rise among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women. People ages 18-25 have the highest rate of use.
  • Marijuana and THC remain illegal at the federal level, even though many states have legalized its use. In states where legal, marijuana is a fast-growing industry with sales to individuals over 21 in retail stores, wineries, breweries, coffee shops, dispensaries, online, as well as grown at home.

References and Relevant Resources
  • Drug Facts: Marijuana | NIDA
  • National Survey on Drug Use and Health | SAMHSA
  • Marijuana Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Implications for Neonatal and Childhood Outcomes | American Academy of Pediatrics
  • What You Need to Know About Marijuana Use and Pregnancy | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Technology Transfer Centers (TTC) Program
  • Home
  • About Dr. Phillips
  • Resources
    • ADHD/Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder >
      • General ADHD Resources
      • ADHD Assessment/Diagnostic Resources
      • ADHD College Topics for Students with ADHD
      • ADHD Fact Sheets
      • ADHD Mindfulness Resources
      • ADHD Related Videos
    • Addiction/Dependence and Recovery
    • Alzheimer's and Dementia: Resources for People with Alzheimer's/Dementia, Family, & Clinicians
    • Anxiety Disorder Resources >
      • General Anxiety Disorder Resources
      • Anxiety Resources for Youth/Children
      • Anxiety Video Resources
    • Associations & Institutes
    • ​Autism/ Developmental Disorders
    • Cancer Related Resources
    • Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
    • Youth/Teen Resources
    • Chronic Fatigue/ME
    • Chronic Pain Resources >
      • Children and Pain
      • Financial Resources For Pain
      • General Pain/Health Resources
      • Legal Resources For Pain
      • Pain in Specific Health Conditions
      • Video Resources for Pain
      • Pain Related Reading Resources
    • Community Disaster or Traumatic Event Resources
    • COVID-19 Resources for Providers and Patients
    • Depression Related Resources
    • Diagnosis
    • Eating Disorders
    • Elderly Resources
    • Grief & Loss Resources
    • Home Remodeling for Disability and Special Needs
    • Homelessness and Transitional Housing Needs
    • Journals & Magazine Resources
    • Marijuana
    • Medications/Psychiatry Resources
    • Mental Health Care/General MH Links
    • Military Related Helpful Organizations & Programs
    • Service & Support Animals >
      • Service & Support Animals- General Links
      • Employment Context Resources
      • Travel Related Resources
    • Sleep Resources
    • Stress Management >
      • General stress management resources
      • Stress management recordings
      • Stress management handouts
      • Online Stress Management Recordings
    • Suicide Resources
    • Trauma & Post Traumatic Stress
    • ​Traumatic Brain Injury >
      • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model System Centers for Treatment
      • TBI resources for providers and researchers
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