Doctors Say Pot Can Be Dangerous For Developing Brains
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Twenty nine states allow medical or recreational use of marijuana for adults over 21, and doctors are worried many parents who use the drug may think it's OK for kids.
The nation's pediatricians are beefing up their warning about teenagers and marijuana use. A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics finds as more states legalize the drug for adult use, more teenagers think it's safe.
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"Marijuana is not a benign drug for teenagers because it affects their developing mind," says Dr. Stephen Patrick of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "Teenagers are at a critical time of brain development, and they have lifelong impacts from marijuana use during adolescence."
The report says pot is more addicting today -- it can affect learning -- and regular use can lead to mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.
"Parents really need to model behaviors of drug use. To not use substances in front of their children to model behaviors they want to see in their children," says Patrick.
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Forty percent of high school students say they've tried marijuana: 20 percent are regular users. Experts say it's critical for parents and pediatricians to discuss the dangers with kids.
Research shows that teenagers who use marijuana ten times a month develop brain changes in regions that affect memory and lower IQ. The brain continues to develop through a person's early 20s.
