Numerous studies have claimed that excessive marijuana use is linked to a variety of complications, from physical to psychological health. Meanwhile, a recent study has found that teenagers who use marijuana on a daily basis before the age of 17 have 60% less chances of getting their high school diploma, compared to those who have never tried pot.
The study, published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, is a meta-analysis of three past long-term studies. The overall number of participants reached a total of 4,000.
The researchers, who come from New Zealand and Australia, investigated on the relationships between frequent marijuana use and seven developmental outcomes. These outcomes were the following: whether the teenagers graduated high school, went into college and got a degree, were dependent on cannabis, had attempted suicide, were diagnosed with depression, used other illegal drugs, and relied on welfare for support.
The analysis revealed that daily marijuana users were 18 times more likely to become dependent on the substance, 8 times more likely to use other illegal drugs other than cannabis. and 7 times more likely to attempt suicide. It was also discovered that heavy marijuana use increased the odds of depression and welfare dependence, although there was no direct causal link found.
According to lead author Edmund Silins, the results show that there is a more direct relationship between adolescent marijuana use and later harm. Silins is with the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He added that the findings resonate with the growing movement to decriminalize or legalize marijuana.
According to the researchers, the risks increased as marijuana use increased. They concluded that individuals who use marijuana daily early in life are more prone to having poorer outcomes in the future. Still, the researchers admit that the study is limited in its capacity to point out the reasons or causes of these associations.