Why is using weed different now?
Weed is more potent and more dangerous now than it was years ago.
The level of THC is highly concentrated and believed to have quadrupled since the 1990s when it was about 4%.
DABS is a concentrated form of cannabis oil processed with butane with a concentration of 80-90% THC as compared with “regular weed” (12-22%), creating greater risk for addiction and toxic effects.
The delayed effect of edibles make it easy to use excessive amounts that create unintended dangerous effects.
Vaping harms the lungs.
Long- Term Impact:
Weed has a dose and age related effect on cognition and memory that can be permanent, causing an 8-10 point decrease in adult IQ that does not come back for those who start before age 22(SAMSA, 2025). *Subjects who started using marijuana after age 22 did not show these effects and recovered from the effects once they stopped using.
There has been a dramatic increase in psychosis in youth brought on by high potency THC (Miller & Davis, 2022; Thompson, 2021). Late teens and early 20s is the developmental risk window for psychosis and other mental illnesses to emerge.
25% of admissions of first time psychosis in some samples are directly due to THC intoxication (Miller & Davis, 2022; Thompson, 2021).
Reasons for Use Matters:
Youth who use weed to cope with feelings, stress, or other issues including social anxiety are most at risk for persistent use and addiction.
Emerging adults are more likely than other adults to use weed to cope with psychological issues (Buckner et al., 2014).
Though users perceive weed use to be helping them with their distress, it exacerbates psychological dysfunction and can be associated with new issues such as negative emotions, depression, increased anxiety, lack of motivation, executive function impairments, lack of initiative and avoidance (Moitra et al., 2015)
Dr. Margolies Commentary
Warning about creative, sensitive kids and vulnerability to psychosis from substance experimentation:
Some children have a particular vulnerability to psychosis – including creative, sensitive kids who think outside the box and may struggle with mood or mental health issues. These children as teenagers and young adults are more likely to be tipped over into a psychotic break from a history of using weed and/or hallucinogens than if they had not used. They may have a particular vulnerability to the effects of drugs – potentially activating a psychosis that perhaps might not otherwise have happened.
References:
- Buckner, J. D., Zvolensky, M. J., Farris, S. G., & Hogan, J. (2014). Social anxiety and coping motives for cannabis use: The impact of experiential avoidance. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 28(2), 568–574. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034545
- Miller, J. P., & Davis, S. E. (2022). Impact of high potency cannabis on psychosis: A 2022 review of emergency room data. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 150, 145–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.03.015
- Moitra, E., Christopher, P. P., Anderson, B. J., & Stein, M. D. (2015). Coping-motivated marijuana use correlates with DSM-5 cannabis use disorder and psychological distress among emerging adults. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 29(3), 627–632. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000083
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2025). Know the effects, risks, and side effects of marijuana (weed, cannabis, THC). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/learn/marijuana/risks
- Thompson, H. R., & Green, A. L. (2021). Long-term cognitive effects of adolescent cannabis use: A 2021 longitudinal study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 33(7), 789–802. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01789
