Written by Hannah Harp
Spoon Feed
Cannabis use in adolescents and young adults is associated with lower grades, decreased high school and university completion rates, increased absenteeism, and increased dropout rates.
Summary
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the association between cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood and academic achievement. Across 63 studies involving over 400,000 individuals, moderate-certainty evidence indicated that cannabis use is likely linked to decreased school grades, increased school dropout, and reduced likelihood of high school completion, university enrollment, and postsecondary degree attainment. Frequent and early-onset use (before age 16) were associated with worse academic outcomes, while low-certainty evidence suggested a possible link to unemployment. These findings underscore the need for early interventions to prevent cannabis use in adolescence to support academic success and long-term outcomes. (AI generated)
Let’s be blunt
This systematic review evokes the image of Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High — a carefree stoner who is always skipping class and never planning for the future. And while there’s no concern for reefer madness here, this review easily falls in line with a large body of emerging research on the negative cognitive and psychosocial effects of cannabis use during a critical period of brain development and heightened neuroplasticity. In an age of widespread cannabis legalization (and availability), increasing potency of cannabis products, and new methods of THC consumption, clinicians who care for adolescents and young adults owe it to their patients to be familiar with the sequelae of cannabis exposure and knowledgeable enough to estimate the quantity of THC their patients are consuming. In that vein, I’d like to see results that reflect those variables — legal status, potency, and method of consumption.
Source
Cannabis Use During Adolescence and Young Adulthood and Academic Achievement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2024 Oct 7:e243674. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.3674. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39374005
