Helpful facts from ACCESS Health!

Tip: It is difficult to reach peak performance and learn new information if under the influence of marijuana.

The effects of marijuana can remain in the body for up to several days and may negatively impact attention, motivation, memory and learning. It can also compromise judgment and affect many other skills necessary to be successful in sports.

New ways to smoke, new stuff to smoke, and evolving legal guidelines make it tougher to teach kids to just say no. Read the full article here.

Tip: Choose not to use marijuana as it impacts your health, safety and potential for academic and athletic success.

THC (the chemical in marijuana) builds up in the brain and affects the skill recall area of the brain and delays reaction time. Marijuana compromises judgment and affects many other skills necessary to be a proficient athlete. These skills include alertness, concentration, coordination and reaction time.

From the Center for Motivation and Change: We all know that substance use disorders can exact a terrible emotional and physical toll on the person struggling. A person overusing substances can suffer lower quality of life, impaired functioning at work, school and in family roles, and financial, legal and health problems. What you may not realize is that a significant part of this pain is attributable to stigma, as people with substance problems are labeled all sorts of negative things (“liars,” “losers,” “junkies,” “addicts”) and are often judged to be immoral, full of character defects and somehow carelessly and even willfully deciding to use substances instead of prioritizing more valued things in life like relationships and productivity.

To read the full article click here.

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are warning about an increase in accidental ingestion of marijuana by children.

The study relies on National Poison Data System figures from 2000-2017. Up until 2008, the number of incidents involving kids was mostly flat at about 80 cases a year.

Since then, however, it increased by slightly more than 25% a year on average. According to the study, “during this period of increase, more than 70% of these ingestions occurred in states with legislation legalizing marijuana.”

To read the article click here

Addiction – The Fascinating Information Every Adolescent Needs to Know – A Video

1. Increases the risk of depression and suicidal behavior
2. Impairs cognitive function
3. Disrupts the brain’s maturation process
4. Reduces blood flow to the brain

4 Ways Cannabis Harms the Teenage Brain