NEW YORK TIMES: A new federal report shows that the percentage of American high school students who smoke marijuana is slowly rising, while the use of alcohol and almost every other drug is falling.
The report raises concerns that the relaxation of restrictions on marijuana, which can now be sold legally in 20 states and the District of Columbia, has been influencing use of the drug among teenagers. Health officials are concerned by the steady increase and point to what they say is a growing body of evidence that adolescent brains, which are still developing, are susceptible to subtle changes caused by marijuana…
Experts debate the extent to which heavy marijuana use may cause lasting detriment to the brain. But Dr. Volkow said that one way marijuana might affect cognitive function in adolescents was by disrupting the normal development of white matter through which cells in the brain communicate… (more)
EDITOR: Use of marijuana, alcoholic beverages, tobacco can impair the proper development of teenagers and should not be permitted. However, deaths from auto accidents resulting from drunk driving are likely reduced when marijuana is substituted for alcohol. On a Friday night at college, it is much better that students smoke a couple of joints than indulge in binge drinking.
