6301 wk 9 assgn
Candyy31
wk3Assgn_Shanks_L.docx2
Effects of Marijuana use in Adolescents
Lua Shanks
Dr. Leith
SOCW 6301
3-19-2023
Effects of Marijuana use in Adolescents
Adolescents form a critical component of the human population. They are the most active and vigorously growing category of people. This population encounters numerous problems as they grow and thus the need for a social worker in their lives. The problem of adolescence and substance use is something that is affecting the society in a number of ways. The use of marijuana in adolescents comes with a continuum of effects that affect both their physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development (Froll et al., 2021). Social workers as agents of behavior change have a role to play in combating marijuana use in adolescents through counseling, campaigns, and education of the population.
Sources used and how they relate to the topic.
The first source selected for use in this task was a peer reviewed journal article by Dhein (2020). The article explores the effects associated cannabis use in adolescents and adult brain. According to the article, cannabis affects brain growth in adolescents which later affects adult brain performance by altering the production of neuronal growth factors which play a critical role in the formation of synapses. Growth factors play an essential role in influencing the neuron conversion processes, especially during puberty. Other than interfering with the neural processes, cannabis use in adolescents affect the structural formation of the brain as it interferes with the development of grey matter. This article relates to the study because it covers the topic by identifying how cannabis affects brain development of adolescents and adults. Interference with brain development is one of the effects that the study will explore.
The second article considered for the study was an article by Gobbi et al. (2019). The article relates to the study because it reveals the link between cannabis use and other psychological effects that include suicidal ideation, anxiety, and the risk of depression. Gobbi et al. (2019) used a systematic review and meta-analysis approach in their study. The results of their study revealed that there was increased risk of suicidal behavior and depression in adolescents who used cannabis.
The third article considered for the study was a peer reviewed article by Froll et al. (2021). This article relates to the study because it equally explores the effects of marijuana use in adolescents. Froll et al. (2021) in their article convey that cannabis use in adolescents causes neurocognitive changes which include interfering with cognitive flexibility, altering social behavior and emotional responsiveness, and altering the speed of information processing.
The fourth article that was selected for this study was an article by Hall, Leung and Lynskey (2020). The article contains the key search terms and synonyms that relate to the title of the study. The terms effect, cannabis use, young adults, and adolescents proved useful in the search for this particular article. Hall, Leung and Lynskey (2020) in their article that was based on a review of existing literature on the topic of cannabis use in adolescents explored the effects of cannabis use in both adolescents and young adults. The article highlights some of the effects that include poor educational attainment due to poor cognitive function, mania, violence, and anxiety.
While Hall, Leung and Lynskey (2020) looked at the effects from a wider perspective, the fifth article by Blest-Hopley et al. (2020) focused on vulnerability of adolescent brain due to cannabis use. Blest-Hopley et al. (2020) wrote an article that was based on a narrative review of the topic. The authors in their article reveal that cannabis use during adolescent stage can lead to functional, histological, and structural alterations of the brain. The evidenced propagated by the study indicates that cannabis is linked to alteration of cognitive performance as well as interference with brain structure. The article relates to the study as it uses key terms that were used in the search such as adolescent, cannabis, and effects. The article provides peer reviewed information that will support the research on the selected topic.
The sixth article selected for the study was an article by Lawn et al. (2022). The article relates to the study because it highlights the effects associated with cannabis use in adolescents. The article contains the key search terms that include adolescents, and cannabis. Lawn et al. (2022) in their article utilized a cross-sectional study that relied on a longitudinal project to compare the effects of marijuana use in adolescents and adults. The study established that the severity of mental health symptoms was higher in adolescents than in adults. According to Lawn et al. (2022), adolescents who used cannabis were likely to exhibit greater psychotic symptoms as compared to adults.
References
Blest-Hopley, G., Colizzi, M., Giampietro, V., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2020). Is the adolescent brain at greater vulnerability to the effects of cannabis? A narrative review of the evidence. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 859.
Frolli, A., Ricci, M. C., Cavallaro, A., Lombardi, A., Bosco, A., Di Carmine, F., ... & Franzese, L. (2021). Cognitive development and cannabis use in adolescents. Behavioral Sciences, 11(3), 37.
Gobbi, G., Atkin, T., Zytynski, T., Wang, S., Askari, S., Boruff, J., ... & Mayo, N. (2019). Association of cannabis use in adolescence and risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidality in young adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA psychiatry, 76(4), 426-434.
Hall, W., Leung, J., & Lynskey, M. (2020). The effects of cannabis use on the development of adolescents and young adults. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 2, 461-483.
Lawn, W., Mokrysz, C., Lees, R., Trinci, K., Petrilli, K., Skumlien, M., ... & Curran, H. V. (2022). The CannTeen Study: Cannabis use disorder, depression, anxiety, and psychotic- like symptoms in adolescent and adult cannabis users and age-matched controls. Journal of psychopharmacology, 36(12), 1350-1361.
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