What 2021 taught us about young people and cannabis use

By Andrew Ward

The potential impact of cannabis on young people will continue to be paramount as the legal market takes shape. Throughout 2021, several studies helped better understand an area that still suffers from a significant educational gap.

Although nothing became final in 2021, research helped improve understanding of several critical areas.

Photo by Cottonbro from Pexels

Legalization doesn’t seem to increase teenage usage

Minors appear to no longer use cannabis as states legalize – or in some cases, at all.

Medical professionals and cannabis experts wouldn’t confirm that teenage use was on the downturn, but 2021 offered extensive study and additional commentary suggesting it might be.

A September 2021 study of high school use between 1993 and 2019 used the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to find that laws on adult use did not increase consumption by adolescents. After two years, states with adult use laws saw a decline in use.

The Agency on Drug Abuse and Mental Health (SAMHSA) released its annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) survey of health and drug use. The October 2021 report saw a decrease in usage among minors ages 12-17 from 13% to 10% in 2020 – but the decrease could be related to changes in research methodology due to the pandemic. Nearly 50 million (49.6 million) Americans in the age group reported using cannabis during the analysis period.

Nicolas Schlienz, Ph.D., Research Director of the cannabis education platform Realm of Caring, was encouraged by the results, but calls for additional analysis.

RELATED: Cannabis Use Among Adolescents Has Dropped Dramatically, Confirms Government-Funded Study

“Much of the literature on the legalization of cannabis is difficult to compare because of different government guidelines, the states included in the analysis of the individual articles, the time periods examined by the researchers, the definition of use and other problems,” said Schlienz.

Nevertheless, there is great optimism and there is more encouragement. Several sources also pointed to the August comments made by the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Nora Volkow, who admitted she was wrong about the use hypothesis.

Photo by Elsa Olofsson via Unsplash

Concerns about vaping remain

Teen vaping is on the rise regardless of the content being vaped. A survey by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2021 found that 2 million teenagers use e-cigarettes.

A study of vaping in the US and Canada conducted in October 2021 showed upward trends, with teens starting to prefer cannabis products with higher potency over products with lower dosages and nicotine options.

Codi Peterson is a pediatric pharmacist and educator with an MS in medical cannabis science from the University of Maryland. Peterson said that the discretion of a vape pen allows it to be used in most places, increasing the risk of an unhealthy relationship consisting of overuse and possible addiction.

“As far as I can tell, little has been done to curb the vape problem among teenagers,” said Peterson.

Lo Friesen, CEO of cannabis extract processor Heylo, agrees that teenage consumption should be restricted. She said the effort doesn’t have to come from the cannabis industry alone.

She added that the 2019 EVALI lung crisis increased the industry’s need to tackle the unregulated market by further restricting non-medical access for minors and highlighting concerns about glycol and glycerin additives.

RELATED: Teenagers are more likely to eat weed and alcohol when they do

“We still have a lot to do in terms of better regulation and consumer education, but the reduction of cannabis vaping among teenagers is not solely the responsibility of the cannabis industry,” said Friesen, calling for additional external measures.

Effects on the development of brain debris

Concern about the effects of cannabis on neurological development persists, with adults up to 25 potentially affected. A June study using neuroimaging and behavioral data found that cannabis was associated with cortical thinning in predominantly prefrontal regions between the ages of 14 and 19. The results suggest that its use could affect development in parts of the brain, especially those rich in CB1 receptors.

Photo by Dejan Marjanovic / Getty Images

In September, a study of alcohol and cannabis use in developing brains resulted in “minor to moderate” disorders in the structure and function of the brain while causing neurocognitive impairment.

Doctors noted concerns, but Peterson alleviated them to some extent.

“At the time, the therapeutic use of medicinal cannabis had never been linked to negative effects on brain development – just uncontrolled recreational use,” he said.

Additional training required

Cannabis often has educational gaps and its use by adolescents can be the most worrying right now.

Adryan Corcione, a journalist with experience of teen drug use, said full drug education was needed.

“Instead of a scare-mongering abstinence curriculum, teens need to understand the risks associated with teenage cannabis use, including the very real punitive consequences for the possession and spread of cannabis,” said Corcione, which also puts an end to cannabis use for adolescents called for -based detentions.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.