From Scientific American:
Pot Linked to Psychosis in Teens
Researchers tracked the onset of chronic psychotic disorders among more than 11,000 teenagers in Canada over several years. By the time the cohort reached age 20, the cumulative incidence of psychotic disorders was about 4 percent in those who had used cannabis in the past year compared with less than 1 percent of nonusers.
Why this matters: New strains of cannabis are highly potent, making them more addictive and potentially more dangerous, especially to teenagers, writes Carrie E. Bearden, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences and psychology at UCLA. The risk of psychosis increases with higher levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the intoxicating component of the cannabis plant.
What the experts say: Why are teens particularly affected? The same molecules in the brain that interact with THC (known as the endocannabinoid system) play an essential role in brain development. “There is growing evidence from both animal and human studies that early cannabis exposure can disrupt the way brain cells, or neurons, respond to what we experience, and how they talk to each other to make those experiences memories,” Bearden says. [end quote]
Wendy