Age and developing brain

Gr8danger

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Hello I have a few questions about using cannabis and it's affects on the brain. I am 21 years old and I have read few articles on cannabis and the possible problems it can cause in the brain and most of them apply to teenagers but some pointed out to young adults ages 20 to like 25 because your brain is still kinda developing. So I'm just Curious about your opinions! And what you think is a safe age to start consuming medical marijuana? I use cbd throughout the day and then I use higher thc strains with my vapcap at night a few hours before bed I will usually vaporize one bowl then go to bed a few hours Later to help with my insomnia I also use tinctures at night sometimes! I also use it to help with my ibs my diabetic nurapathy and my anxiety! Anyways I'm just curious what your guys thoughts are! Thank you!
 

Vaporware

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My *guess*, not backed up by data I’m aware of, is that relatively small amounts of THC aren’t likely to be a big problem for a 21 year old, but if you’re concerned then sticking to more CBD for now is probably a good idea. I’d be more concerned if you’d used a lot at a younger age, but the closer you get to 25 the safer you probably are.

On the other hand, some people dispute the studies that say it has lasting negative effects on the brain, even in adolescents...it really needs more study.

Of course the safest thing to do is not to take any drug unless it’s treating something that seriously threatens your health/life, so it’s really up to you. If you look at relevant studies and ask yourself if the worst case scenario is less bad than giving up THC for the next few years, you may have your answer.

Since we don’t have a lot of research on this topic (or cannabis in general) though, no one can honestly give you a definitive answer, just a more or less informed opinion based on the limited data we have.

Personally, for a purely medicinal application, I would stick to CBD as much as possible for now, and if I needed the THC some nights but not others, I’d pass on the nights I didn’t need it just to be on the safe side.

It’s always best to do your own research and come to your own conclusions when it comes to issues involving your health though, so take any responses here for what they’re worth and check out any relevant studies (and possible motives for steering the findings in one direction or another), then keep an eye out for new information as new studies hopefully pick up. :)
 

C No Ego

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My *guess*, not backed up by data I’m aware of, is that relatively small amounts of THC aren’t likely to be a big problem for a 21 year old, but if you’re concerned then sticking to more CBD for now is probably a good idea. I’d be more concerned if you’d used a lot at a younger age, but the closer you get to 25 the safer you probably are.

On the other hand, some people dispute the studies that say it has lasting negative effects on the brain, even in adolescents...it really needs more study.

Of course the safest thing to do is not to take any drug unless it’s treating something that seriously threatens your health/life, so it’s really up to you. If you look at relevant studies and ask yourself if the worst case scenario is less bad than giving up THC for the next few years, you may have your answer.

Since we don’t have a lot of research on this topic (or cannabis in general) though, no one can honestly give you a definitive answer, just a more or less informed opinion based on the limited data we have.

Personally, for a purely medicinal application, I would stick to CBD as much as possible for now, and if I needed the THC some nights but not others, I’d pass on the nights I didn’t need it just to be on the safe side.

It’s always best to do your own research and come to your own conclusions when it comes to issues involving your health though, so take any responses here for what they’re worth and check out any relevant studies (and possible motives for steering the findings in one direction or another), then keep an eye out for new information as new studies hopefully pick up. :)

the only harms found have been from NIDA American studies examining toxins in " marijuana" smoke... no tests ever with cannabinoid or pytocannabinoid as the study has shown any type harm. find any studies and look for biochemical metabolism representation ( phyto-chemicals and how they metabolize)... all the studies about the metabolism are actual medical studies LOL... you would think NIDA would use real medical studies for their harm research .
 
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wall

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Personally having depression and anxiety I love what THC / CBD does, I agree to maybe stick with more CBD heavy stuff but this is my conclusion threw my own documenting. I would rather live a (potentially) shorter life and be happy like I feel with cannabis then live longer and be depressed. Of course I'm a believer that it is benefiting my health but thats just me
 
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Vaporware

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the only harms found have been from NIDA American studies examining toxins in " marijuana" smoke... no tests ever with cannabinoid or pytocannabinoid as the study has shown any type harm. find any studies and look for biochemical metabolism representation ( phyto-chemicals and how they metabolize)... all the studies about the metabolism are actual medical studies LOL... you would think NIDA would use real medical studies for their harm research .

There are claims that it had negative effects on developing brains (basically people under 25), which is what the OP is concerned about. I don’t know enough about the supporting studies or the people behind them to have a strong opinion on it either way, but I think it’s enough reason for young people to be cautious about use beyond what is medically necessary, at least until they look into the data themselves.
 

JCat

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There are claims that it had negative effects on developing brains (basically people under 25), which is what the OP is concerned about. I don’t know enough about the supporting studies or the people behind them to have a strong opinion on it either way, but I think it’s enough reason for young people to be cautious about use beyond what is medically necessary, at least until they look into the data themselves.
I do think it's worth taking these studies with a grain of salt ... probably not a good idea to be a chronic daily user unless medically necessary, but that's likely the case for all of us.

I would venture that a night of binge drinking is likely worse for a developing brain than a night of cannabis use ... so from a harm reduction perspective it's beneficial considering that it would be naïve and ridiculous to think that people from age 16-25 aren't going to enjoy socializing and partaking in some mood enhancing substances while doing so. Likely that age is when many of us do the most of it in our lives. So if one is saying that they aren't using cannabis because it's bad for their developing brain, but are instead drinking a case of beer plus a week, it seems like the priorities are maybe lacking a little perspective?

(Might not apply to the OP if they are not a social drinker ...)

Edit: Just re-read the original post, so yeah, based on medical necessity I guess one balances the benefit/risk like all medications ...
 
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C No Ego

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There are claims that it had negative effects on developing brains (basically people under 25), which is what the OP is concerned about. I don’t know enough about the supporting studies or the people behind them to have a strong opinion on it either way, but I think it’s enough reason for young people to be cautious about use beyond what is medically necessary, at least until they look into the data themselves.
All bad effects were from smoke period. there were zero identifiers of the active molecules( cannabinoids) causing harm when /where they metabolize.. you must follow through on identifying metabolism to know, and in so doing all medical research is shown. see- the thing is, with smoke only research it is 100% toxic studies... But, Dr Donald Tashkin was showing how even in all that smoke the cannabinoids are repairing and fixing as they metabolize. identifying bio-activity in cannabis started neurosciences and the scientist who first identified THC in the 60's has claimed all these years there is no toxicity of THC, none... http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/eCBSystemLee.pdf

edit- who would you trust- scientists identifying how it metabolizes from a clean medium or " scientists" examining smoldering toxic smoke? I mean that right there says/proves, do not smoke it and it is then safe as proven through the scientific method
 
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Tranquility

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https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.14456

I'm not fully sure, but it seems like they're saying cannabis does not cause youths to have conduct problems but that...youths with conduct problems generally use cannabis. I think. The conclusion was:

Cannabis use in adolescence does not appear to lead to greater conduct problems or association with cannabis‐using peers apart from pre‐existing conduct problems. Instead, adolescents who (1) increasingly affiliate with cannabis‐using peers or (2) have increasing levels of conduct problems are more likely to use cannabis, and this cascading chain of events appears to predict cannabis use disorder in emerging adulthood.​
 

C No Ego

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https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.14456

I'm not fully sure, but it seems like they're saying cannabis does not cause youths to have conduct problems but that...youths with conduct problems generally use cannabis. I think. The conclusion was:

Cannabis use in adolescence does not appear to lead to greater conduct problems or association with cannabis‐using peers apart from pre‐existing conduct problems. Instead, adolescents who (1) increasingly affiliate with cannabis‐using peers or (2) have increasing levels of conduct problems are more likely to use cannabis, and this cascading chain of events appears to predict cannabis use disorder in emerging adulthood.​
cannabis use disorder is Severe Endocannabinoid Deficiencies ! take a serious health problem and call the fix a disorder sounds about as fucked up as it gets
 

EverythingsHazy

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I definitely wouldn't assume that Cannabis use is 100% risk/negative free for anyone, let alone those with developing brains. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that Cannabis use, or at least THC use, during the years when your brain isn't fully developed, can have long term negative effects.

Also, Cannabis use disorder is not the same thing as a deficiency in endocannabinoids. Let's not use false definitions for things and spread misinformation. Below is the proper definition, according to the DSM V.

Cannabis Use Disorder:
A problematic pattern of cannabis use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress as manifested by at least two of the following occurring in a 12 month period:

1. Cannabis is often taken in larger amounts over a longer period than was intended.

2. There is a persistent desire or insignificant effort to cut down or control cannabis use.

3. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain cannabis, use cannabis or recover from its effects.

4. Craving or a strong desire or urge to use cannabis.

5. Recurrent cannabis use resulting in failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school or home.

6. Continued cannabis use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of cannabis.

7. Important social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of cannabis use.

8. Recurrent cannabis use in situations which is physically hazardous.

9. Cannabis use is continued despite knowledge of having persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problems that are unlikely to have been caused or exacerbated by cannabis.

10. Tolerance, as defined by either:

1) A need for markedly increased amounts of cannabis to achieve intoxication and desired effect, or

2) A markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of cannabis.

11. Withdrawal, as manifested by either:

1) The characteristic withdrawal symptoms for cannabis, or

2) A closer related substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
 
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C No Ego

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I definitely wouldn't assume that Cannabis use is 100% risk/negative free for anyone, let alone those with developing brains. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that Cannabis use, or at least THC use, during the years when your brain isn't fully developed, can have long term negative effects.

Also, Cannabis use disorder is not the same thing as a deficiency in endocannabinoids. Let's not use false definitions for things and spread misinformation. Below is the proper definition, according to the DSM V.

Cannabis Use Disorder:
A problematic pattern of cannabis use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress as manifested by at least two of the following occurring in a 12 month period:

1. Cannabis is often taken in larger amounts over a longer period than was intended.

2. There is a persistent desire or insignificant effort to cut down or control cannabis use.

3. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain cannabis, use cannabis or recover from its effects.

4. Craving or a strong desire or urge to use cannabis.

5. Recurrent cannabis use resulting in failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school or home.

6. Continued cannabis use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of cannabis.

7. Important social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of cannabis use.

8. Recurrent cannabis use in situations which is physically hazardous.

9. Cannabis use is continued despite knowledge of having persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problems that are unlikely to have been caused or exacerbated by cannabis.

10. Tolerance, as defined by either:

1) A need for markedly increased amounts of cannabis to achieve intoxication and desired effect, or

2) A markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of cannabis.

11. Withdrawal, as manifested by either:

1) The characteristic withdrawal symptoms for cannabis, or

2) A closer related substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

All I see with all of those is a person putting supplemental cannabinoids in their bodies.

Endocannabinoid deficiency = previously known as cannabis use disorder. it involves the supplementation of exogenous cannabinoids gained from plants
 
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EverythingsHazy

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All I see with all of those is a person putting supplemental cannabinoids in their bodies.

Endocannabinoid deficiency = previously known as cannabis use disorder. it involves the supplementation of exogenous cannabinoids gained from plants
Not everyone who uses Cannabis needs it, or has a deficiency, though. Also, you can need it and use it in a healthy way, or abuse it, and have your usage become disordered.
 

C No Ego

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Not everyone who uses Cannabis needs it, or has a deficiency, though. Also, you can need it and use it in a healthy way, or abuse it, and have your usage become disordered.
I never said otherwise... we can walk on land or try and walk on air. or water , anywhere... we naturally walk on land but every now and then....
 
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Tranquility

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Reefer Madness returns?
https://www.motherjones.com/politic...ur-children-marijuana-crime-mental-illness-1/
After reading Berenson’s book, I fact-checked it a bit, and inadvertently discovered all sorts of websites advising pot users on how to manage their paranoia and ride out the psychotic effects. I also found plenty of news stories about bad trips on pot. Such incidents are typically treated jokingly. “But a lot of the time it turns out not to be a joke,” Berenson told me. “A lot of the time it’s a 22-year-old guy who maybe has some history of aggression, and he winds up throwing himself off the balcony or beating up his girlfriend.”
There is a new book just released called "Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence". Unlike the quote from the Mother Jones article, it is NOT a simple "Marijuana is bad, m'kay" book, but one that brings together a lot of data and studies to show what he perceives to be a problem with cannabis. I've only read part of it so far, but it does point to a direct relationship between cannabis use and a host of horribles having to do with mental illness and violence. (Many of which we have discussed at FC.) The book will be important and I suggest those who advocate for cannabis read it. Prohibitionists will and their arguments will be pretty convincing to slow down legalization efforts--especially if the only counter argument is, "Correlation is not causation."

The problem is, there is a lot of correlation. Much will fit with what prohibitionists have been saying. Add in some Confirmation Bias and the book might convince many who have not made up their mind on the matter.

Combine the Mother Jones article referencing the book with the following and you'll see that publications on the left, right and center are all going to be covering the book and its conclusions:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/is-marijuana-as-safe-as-we-think
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/second-thoughts-on-pot/

The Amazon blurb on the book:
An eye-opening report from an award-winning author and former New York Times reporter reveals the link between teenage marijuana use and mental illness, and a hidden epidemic of violence caused by the drug—facts the media have ignored as the United States rushes to legalize cannabis.

Recreational marijuana is now legal in nine states. Almost all Americans believe the drug should be legal for medical use. Advocates argue cannabis can help everyone from veterans to cancer sufferers. But legalization has been built on myths– that marijuana arrests fill prisons; that most doctors want to use cannabis as medicine; that it can somehow stem the opiate epidemic; that it is not just harmless but beneficial for mental health. In this meticulously reported book, Alex Berenson, a former New York Timesreporter, explodes those myths:

• Almost no one is in prison for marijuana;
• A tiny fraction of doctors write most authorizations for medical marijuana, mostly for people who have already used;
• Marijuana use is linked to opiate and cocaine use. Since 2008, the US and Canada have seen soaring marijuana use and an opiate epidemic. Britain has falling marijuana use and no epidemic;
• Most of all, THC—the chemical in marijuana responsible for the drug’s high—can cause psychotic episodes. After decades of studies, scientists no longer seriously debate if marijuana causes psychosis.

Psychosis brings violence, and cannabis-linked violence is spreading. In the four states that first legalized, murders have risen 25 percent since legalization, even more than the recent national increase. In Uruguay, which allowed retail sales in July 2017, murders have soared this year.

Berenson’s reporting ranges from the London institute that is home to the scientists who helped prove the cannabis-psychosis link to the Colorado prison where a man now serves a thirty-year sentence after eating a THC-laced candy bar and killing his wife. He sticks to the facts, and they are devastating.

With the US already gripped by one drug epidemic, this book will make readers reconsider if marijuana use is worth the risk.​
 
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C No Ego

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the link between use and mental illness.... Cannabis can offer metabolic aid to the problem as the mentally unstable person seeks out supplemental cannabinoid metabolism in the cannabis plant... the list of neurological Aid from cannabis is long and more research Daily . look @ patent # 6630507 as a reference Guide

Edit LOL - tell them to rewrite the book with only using Fresh Raw juiced cannabis leaves!!! that'll present those mental illness isasues... at the end of the trial the mental illness Gone, and the report ' trashed ' as not biased enough to fit research parameters
 

Tranquility

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the link between use and mental illness.... Cannabis can offer metabolic aid to the problem as the mentally unstable person seeks out supplemental cannabinoid metabolism in the cannabis plant... the list of neurological Aid from cannabis is long and more research Daily . look @ patent # 6630507 as a reference Guide

Edit LOL - tell them to rewrite the book with only using Fresh Raw juiced cannabis leaves!!! that'll present those mental illness isasues... at the end of the trial the mental illness Gone, and the report ' trashed ' as not biased enough to fit research parameters
I understand the claim of correlation is not causation. Adding the hope the correlation has to do with self-medication, does not change the claim. It only supplies an unsupported possibility of another explanation. That explanation, while possibly explaining the overwhelming link between adolescent use and schizophrenia, does not address the violence correlation with legalization/use levels.

As to fresh raw juiced cannabis leaves...I'ma gonna go with Confirmation Bias.
 

C No Ego

Well-Known Member
I understand the claim of correlation is not causation. Adding the hope the correlation has to do with self-medication, does not change the claim. It only supplies an unsupported possibility of another explanation. That explanation, while possibly explaining the overwhelming link between adolescent use and schizophrenia, does not address the violence correlation with legalization/use levels.

As to fresh raw juiced cannabis leaves...I'ma gonna go with Confirmation Bias.
I'm sure the people paying for the study would not follow around pepolle drinking green juice LOL wehjat a joke the world presents as .. is the world crazy?
 

Sick Vape

Solar Dabs
This book sounds like another episode of reefer madness.
If the correlation was right, it should also show inversely, when cannabis got banned in the 60/70ies.
Did mental illnesses go down in that period of time? Did less murders happen? No!


There is also a correlation between psychosis and living in big cities. Big cities should be banned then?

But I know all these arguments only reach pro cannabis people.

Edit: added the big cities thing.
 
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Tranquility

Well-Known Member
Isn't the brain always developing, always changing, in a state of constant flux etc?
Yes and no. There is an old book called "Why Michael Couldn't Hit: And Other Tales of the Neurology of Sport". I read it when I was coaching a lot and it was fascinating.

The basic premise is that the brain has certain periods where it is super adaptable to stimuli. Michael Jordan was considered one of the world's top athletes when he retired from basketball and tried his hand at baseball. He did pretty well--except for one thing. He couldn't hit a curve ball. There are complexities the brain has to calculate very quickly on the speed, spin and other characteristics of the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand and then move the bat to be at the place at the time the ball arrives and Jordan's brain was just too old. He missed the training window.

I used to see it coaching women as well. You usually tell if a person played a sport growing up if you just watch them do a quick run from one place to another. You can often even tell the sport they favored from the gait. A person who grew up playing basketball runs differently from one who grew up playing volleyball, even though they often have similar body types. If you didn't run around as a kid, it will be obvious to an experienced eye, even if you run a lot now.
 
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ClearBlueLou

unbearably light in the being....
Pretty hard to believe that cannabis users are falling for crap research and reefer-madness bullshit: are we better off with drugs whose acknowledged side-effects include things like paranoia, violent fantasies, cardiac arrest, and “sucicidal ideation”?

I hope this leads to a science fight between factions: virtually no studies were conducted during the Carleton Turner era unless the researchers were *expressly* searching for proof of bad effects. Anyone who was at all conversant with the subject at the time knew this to be true, and remembers the creation of the D.A.R.E. marihuana myth sheet from the interpretations of such studies.

Since those days, there has been a vast amount of research: we’ve discovered a great deal about addiction, all of which supports the generally recognized fact that cannabis is not addictive - as does all the research done on the subject *prior* to the drug war era, here and in various locations in the British Empire (then extant).

Since then, we’ve discovered the endocannabinoid system, which has transformed thinking people’s understanding of the roles and effects of cannabis; and the more we learn about it, the more we realize the benefits of it for humans, and the more realistic our appraisal becomes of the downsides and risks.

Berenson can keep his juvenile fiction; I’m not impressed.

@Gr8danger, your questions are sound, and thanks for asking.

I began smoking weed when I was 17. For the next 13 years, I smoked when I could, which was haphazard. At 30 I began to smoke more heavily and more regularly. During this period, which continues, I formed the deepest friendships of my life, managed sizeable businesses, raised a happy, brilliant, and well-balanced human, have had several successful careers, pursued a great number of interests, and generally have had a fine life.

I suffered no brain damage as a result of my cannabis use, I never lost a job for being stoned or even the suspicion thereof. I have been a pillar of my community, an advisor and friend to many, for many years. Last estimate on my IQ was 185+.

Do I recommend it to teenagers? Quite a different question. I think that *IT* would do them no harm. I think they might act out more, expose more of their inner turmoil, and thereby be helped over their humps. Cannabis is not like alcohol, it does not lower inhibitions the way a few drinks can: it’s much more likely to spark extreme self-consciousness, which has a inhibiting effect on behavior. Teenagers are engaed in the very important activity of sorting through who and what could be, and who and what they want to be. It is certainly possible that cannabis use could intensify that process, but again could encourage the youth to talk about what’s up with them and thereby gain a more positive outcome/outlook than might be otherwise.

Rock bottom, if a teen *is* going to use cannabis, it should be with the knowledge of the parents and the appropriate physician, and the parents should be aware of how to best work with their young adult as things come up.
 
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Tranquility

Well-Known Member
Berenson can keep his juvenile fiction; I’m not impressed.
It is NOT "fiction". Every part of the book is well sourced. It might not be correct--which is an entirely different question.

I suffered no brain damage as a result of my cannabis use, I never lost a job for being stoned or even the suspicion thereof. I have been a pillar of my community, an advisor and friend to many, for many years. Last estimate on my IQ was 185+.

If it matters to you or to anyone else, you might consider a second estimate.
bell-curve.png


While the claim of a super-high IQ is possibly not some juvenile fiction, it just might not be correct either.

Do I recommend it to teenagers? Quite a different question. I think that *IT* would do them no harm. I think they might act out more, expose more of their inner turmoil, and thereby be helped over their humps. Cannabis is not like alcohol, it does not lower inhibitions the way a few drinks can: it’s much more likely to spark extreme self-consciousness, which has a inhibiting effect on behavior. Teenagers are engaed in the very important activity of sorting through who and what could be, and who and what they want to be. It is certainly possible that cannabis use could intensify that process, but again could encourage the youth to talk about what’s up with them and thereby gain a more positive outcome/outlook than might be otherwise.
Alcohol tends to be a short-term risk in that the bad happens in the moment due to the effects of intoxication. (It also has a long-term risk if excessively used. What "excessively" means is still being studied.) The claims of cannabis and teens is not directly related to the harm in the moment of intoxication, but in the medium term were there is a direct and compelling link between use and psychosis.

Thinking it will do them no harm means the only explanation for the direct relationship is self-medication where those likely to have a problem with psychosis eventually gets some relief from using. As I mentioned, the rise in psychosis with the rise of use overall (At least statistically.), belies that as an easy answer.
 
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