Teen marijuana use impacts educational outcomes

Red Ribbon Week highlights need to educate teens 12-17 on impact of marijuana use. Impact linked to grades, truancy, dropout rates and employment opportunities.

DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, October 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With the rise of legalized marijuana in the U.S., teen use is exponentially increasing. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health by the Substances Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2,947,000 teens ages 12-17 used marijuana in the past year and 44.38% of them have Cannabis Use Disorder (addiction).

These facts are staggering, yet states are still legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana use. An October 2024 Canadian study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, showed in addition to mental health risks, teen marijuana use also negatively impacts academic performance and employment.

According to the McMaster University study by Li Wang, there is overwhelming evidence marijuana use in adolescence is linked to lower school grades, truancy and dropout rates. Additionally, teen marijuana use lowers the odds for advanced education, employment opportunities and increases issues with the law.

The study found:
• 39% higher odds for lower school grades
• 50% less chance of attaining a high school diploma
• 28% lower likelihood of going to university
• 31% lower odds for getting a college degree
• more than doubling of the odds of dropping out of high school
• more than doubling of the odds of school absenteeism

According to Wang’s analysis, these risks rose with the frequency of marijuana use, especially if use began at or before age 16. According to Wang, teen marijuana use is now greater than any other illicit drug.

Many parents aren’t aware of the impact of today’s high potency delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC—the active ingredient in marijuana) products. The potency of marijuana in decades past pales in comparison to today’s version, where the THC content in concentrates is more than 90%, as compared to the 2% weed of the 60s. The impact on the growing brain is devastating and can have profound implications for mental health and educational outcomes.

With Red Ribbon Week approaching (Oct 23-31) Johnny's Ambassadors is working to ensure parents, community leaders, and educators don't sit back and accept this as the new norm. We have a duty to help keep kids drug free. Education is a key differentiator in poverty, health, home and community. It is imperative we take a stand in our schools and communities to prevent youth marijuana use. The long-term negative consequences are limiting the potential of our future—the youth of our society.

About Johnny's Ambassadors
Laura Stack is the founder of Johnny’s Ambassadors, a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to youth THC prevention. Her son died by suicide in 2019 after developing psychosis from marijuana use. Stack offers academic resources and presentations for school districts across the U.S. Visit: www.johnnysambassadors.org/education.

Jane Dvorak
JKD & Company, Inc.
+1 3032383011
jane@jkdjane.com
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