The Impact of Cannabis Use on Adolescent Neurodevelopment and Clinical Outcomes Amidst Changing State Policies.
J. Ross, Sharona T. Levy
Clinical Therapeutics June 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.03.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | The review argues that adolescent cannabis use interrupts a critical period of brain development and inappropriately activates the reward pathway, and that the still-maturing prefrontal cortex makes adolescents especially vulnerable to harm. It further contends that changing state policies have increased availability of cannabis products, and that newer products and delivery devices delivering higher and faster peak doses of tetrahydrocannabinol raise the potential for negative clinical impacts on adolescent health. |
Abstract
Cannabis is the most common illicit substance used by adolescents and the third most common psychoactive substance after alcohol and nicotine. Cannabis use during adolescence interrupts a critical period of brain development and leads to inappropriate activation of the reward pathway. Because the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for impulse control and other executive functions, is not fully mature until the mid-twenties, the adolescent brain is especially vulnerable to damage from substance use. Although cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, recent changes in state policies have been associated with increased availability of a wide variety of cannabis products. As new products, formulations, and delivery devices that can deliver higher and faster peak doses of tetrahydrocannabinol enter the market, there is an even greater potential for cannabis to have negative clinical impacts on adolescent health. This article reviews the current literature on the impact of cannabis on adolescent health, including the neurobiology of the adolescent brain, potential clinical outcomes in adolescents who use cannabis, and the effects of changing state policies regarding cannabis on the increased availability of unregulated products.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence | 2004 | Review | |
| Cannabis sativa: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a medicinal plant with a long history. General (historical and pharmacological review) | 2018 | Review | |
| Psychiatric effects of cannabis | 2001 | Review | |
| Beyond THC: The New Generation of Cannabinoid Designer Drugs | 2011 | Review | |
| Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug | 2006 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Neuropsychological effects of cannabis use by continent and age: a systematic review Frontiers in Psychology May 28, 2026
- Prolonged incubation with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol but not with cannabidiol induces synaptic alterations and mitochondrial impairment in immature and mature rat organotypic hippocampal slices. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie February 1, 2025
- Cannabis induced psychosis: A comparative study between cannabis use disorder and cocaine use disorder
Cites 4
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- Cannabis use in Adolescence and Risk of Psychosis: Are there Factors that Moderate this Relationship? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Substance Abuse February 22, 2021
- The contribution of cannabis use to variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder across Europe (EU-GEI): a multicentre case-control study The Lancet Psychiatry May 1, 2019
- Cannabis use and the risk of developing a psychotic disorder. World Psychiatry 2008