For years I have observed the regular use of marijuana (THC) in teens escalate into paranoia and then into full blown episodes of psychosis, resulting in diagnoses of bipolar disorder and other chronic mental health problems.
The casual attitude about the use and abuse of THC, often sanctioned by parents who are also using THC or other drugs, is reducing the executive decision-making capacity, diminishing ambition and drive, and setting teens up for a lifetime of functional mediocrity or even incapacity.
Alex Berenson’s sobering expose’ article and book about the connection between mental illness, violence, and pot ought to make any parent think twice about the casual use of weed around children and taking a laissez faire view of its use by teens and young adults.
I expect that those who work in mental health services at our local jail can tell their own stories of observing the correlation between use of marijuana and mental illness and incapacity. With every study that is being done, the indictment is becoming clearer……. marijuana use and mental illness are strongly correlated and it is fast moving to evidence of a causal relationship. It’s like playing Russian roulette……. you will not know until you’ve risked everything whether or not the barrel is loaded.