A study recently published in the medical journal, Addiction confirms what many have observed for years. Teens and young adults who smoke marijuana regularly, grossly underachieve in life. This breakthrough research studied the progress of approximately 1900 teens for 10 years and found that regular marijuana users were three times more likely to be unemployed or drop out of school than non users. The evidence of marijuana’s negative effect on young people is so overwhelming that the scientist who conducted the research pronounced that marijuana is “the drug for life’s future losers.”

Here’s why. Teens who have the intelligence and motivation to go to college or technical school who begin smoking marijuana regularly, almost always abandon these aspirations for something less rigorous and demanding. The research is clear regarding marijuana’s affect on the brain and behavior. Cannabis impairs memory, motivation, and something called executive functioning, which involves the ability to organize tasks, control impulses and set priorities. In other words, marijuana users adjust their life’s goals and priorities downward to accommodate their impaired condition. It’s hard to smoke weed 3-4 times per week and remain disciplined enough to get up early and work hard and attain the grades necessary to succeed in something difficult. So marijuana users are frequently unemployed or under employed in vocations that are less mentally challenging. Unfortunately it isn’t until they quit that they realize that marijuana has robbed them of the life they really wanted.

If you smoke weed and can’t seem to get ahead in life, talk with someone who can be honest and objective with you. Quitting cannabis is very hard for the first 2-4 weeks. One young man said it was like watching black and white TV—no color, no joy, no excitement. But slowly the color comes back as the brain learns to feel happy again without marijuana. Its difficult and you probably can’t do it alone, so get some help. Your future depends on it.

Dr. Drew Edwards | All rights reserved

Reference:
Patton, G.C., et al. (2007) Trajectories of adolescent alcohol and cannabis use into young adulthood. Addiction, 102(4):607-615.

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About the author

Dr. Drew Edwards
Dr. Drew Edwards is a behavioral health researcher, author, counselor, and the youth culture expert and consultant for the nationally syndicated reality television programs Ultimate Choice, and Real Girls-Real Life. In 2006 he founded ENNOBLE, Inc., a non profit educational foundation created to rescue teens and empower parents through the creative expression of Christian principles. His website, www.drdrewedwards.org, is a product of that mission. He has been working with families for twenty years. Dr. Drew was formerly Clinical Assistant Professor in the department of psychiatry and health behavior at the Medical College of Georgia. Previously he served as Associate Director of Psychiatry at the University of Florida. His appointment included program development, clinical practice and clinical instruction for psychiatric residents and postdoctoral fellows in the division of addiction medicine. Dr. Drew has published numerous peer reviewed and popular articles on parenting, behavioral health, addictions, depression/chronic illness and youth culture, as well handbooks for parents on childhood depression and self-esteem in children. He speaks at conferences and presents seminars throughout the United States on parenting, youth culture, teen sex, pornography, addictive disease and eating disorders. He also provides weekly parenting advice on 88.1 FM, The Promise, in Jacksonville and northeast Florida. He joined the staff of the PAYH in 2008.

2 Comments

jennifer

There are lots of claim that Marijuana is been used for quite a long time and science don’t it’ harmful effects. But consider it, when a teen is start taking marijuana in his/her teens years and become addicted or not, ultimately he is destroying his health as teen years are a growing stage and mind is still growing & they are destroying their health and career. Ultimately the end result would be that a Marijuana user become loser in long run of life. The marijuana that is available to teens today is much stronger than the marijuana that was available in the previous decades. Teens who smoke marijuana heavily experience much the same symptoms of withdrawal as users of nicotine. The problem becomes more severe when teens start relying on marijuana and think that they need it to escape from problems at school, home life, or with friends. Some teens feel no effects from marijuana the first few times they smoke it. Others may feel relaxed and somewhat giddy. The use of marijuana by teens can affect school, sports, and other activities; marijuana also affects memory, judgment, and perception. The short-term effects of marijuana include memory problems, distorted perception, trouble problem solving, and loss of motor coordination. Researchers have found that heavy marijuana use impairs teenagers’ ability to retain information and concentrate. Teens get a mixed message about marijuana, but the message needs to be clear. Marijuana is an illegal substance that affects teens in many harmful ways. Teen Marijuana Abuse

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