Using cannabis once or twice monthly has been linked to worse academic performance and higher levels of emotional distress in teens, reported a new study published in Pediatrics.
“While previous studies have focused on the effects of frequent cannabis use among teens, our study found that any amount of cannabis use at all may put kids at risk of falling behind in school, and the kids using most often may have the greatest risk,” said lead author of the study, Ryan Sultán, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, in a press release.
“A few ‘harmless’ joints can snowball into real academic consequences. Teens using it regularly often struggle to focus, miss school, and may lose interest in their future plans,” he added.
For the study, researchers analyzed cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample of over 160,000 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students in the US. Data was gathered between 2018 and 2022, and participants were categorized according to cannabis use, ranging from nonuse to near-daily use. Just over a quarter of respondents reported using the substance, with 4.6% using it almost daily.
The researchers ultimately found that both noncurrent and monthly users were more likely to have poor academic performance, adverse emotional states, and poor impulsivity and self-regulation compared to nonusers. The effects were dose-dependent, and most prominent among those aged 16 years and younger.
The findings highlight the importance of routinely inquiring about cannabis use among teens, wrote the researchers in their study. Sultán emphasized the importance of teens understanding that ‘natural’ does not mean ‘safe’. He added that parents should keep an eye out for warning signs like falling grades, mood changes, or loss of interest in hobbies, and that they should consider cannabis as a factor.
Sources: Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center