The Influence of Marijuana Use on Neurocognitive Functioning in Adolescents

Alecia D. Schweinsburg, Sandra A. Brown and Susan F. Tapert

Marijuana is the most commonly used preparation of the psychoactive drug, Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and is consistently the most widely used illicit drug among teenagers, and most users first experiment in adolescence [1]. While 17% of 8th graders have tried marijuana, by 12th grade almost half of teens have used [1, 2]. After initial experimentation, many youths develop a regular pattern of use, with 20% of 12th graders reporting use in the past month, and 5% of 12th graders reporting daily use [2]. Adolescence is also a period of continued neuromaturation, yet the potential neural consequences of marijuana use during these developments have not been well established, and may have implications for academic, occupational, and social achievements.  0011CDAR.pdf