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Did You Know?

• In 2016, about 24 percent of tenth graders reported that they had used marijuana in the past year. About 9.5 percent of eighth graders reported doing so. • Ten percent of people who use marijuana may become addict- ed to it. • Of those who start using marijuana in their teens, 17 percent are likely to become addicted. Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

The Mental Effects of Marijuana There are many mental side effects of marijuana use that may harm the growing human brain and cause teens to act in unusual ways. One of the problems with making marijuana legal for everyone is that each person is affected differently by marijuana. One person may feel fine after using marijuana, while another person who uses the same amount may feel anxiety or have other mental health issues. Because marijuana use affects people differently, it is important to keep it out of the hands of young adults and teenagers, or provide a safe environment for medical marijuana treatments if it is recommended by a doctor. Marijuana use affects some areas of the brain more strongly than others, and its use may cause hallucinations (seeing things that aren’t there), delusions , or risky behavior in some people and young adults. The areas of the brain that are most affected by cannabis are the cerebellum (the part of the brain that controls balance and the coordination of muscles and the body), the basal ganglia (which processes information on movement and performs other functions), and the cerebral cortex (the area of the brain that is responsible for thought, perception, and the producing and understanding of language). The reason these areas of the brain respond to marijuana is that they have the most cannabinoid receptors. These little receptors are located throughout the body and the brain, but most of them are in the cere- bellum, the basal ganglia, and the cerebral cortex.

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