Daily Hampshire Gazette: Prof. Cresta Presents How Marijuana Affects Teen Brain Development
Prof. Rick Cresta presented, “Cannabis Use and Teens, What’s the Big Deal?” at Easthampton High School last week, as part of his effort to inform high school students and parents about how marijuana use affects teens’ brains.
Excerpt from “Easthampton High School Talk to Address Teen Marijuana Use” by Emily Thurlow, originally published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette:
‘“My focus is on teens and young adult use specifically, with an emphasis on chronic use,’ Cresta said. ‘While it is possible to have a reasonable debate around the harms and benefits for adult use, the evidence of harm to the pre-adult brain is substantial and growing.’
In Massachusetts, recreational use of marijuana was legalized in 2016. Since then, Cresta says the overall rates of teen usage of marijuana have increased and some are using marijuana chronically.
‘This subset of chronic users is the one that parents and those of us who work with teens are most concerned with. This appears to be connected to the increasing belief that it causes no harm, and while it may cause less harm than other drugs, it is not harmless, with some experiencing substantial harm,’ he said.”