Cannabis and the teen brain; Teenagers urged to wait before inhaling

Therapist Jennifer Golick has one piece of advice for young people who want to try marijuana: “Just wait.”

The teen brain isn’t just an adult brain with fewer miles on it, doctors and scientists say. It’s a beta version, still under construction.

So external influences — say, daily bong hits — can have a much greater long-term impact on a teen brain than they would on the brain of a 25-year-old grad student, 45-year-old professional or 65-year-old retiree.

The issue of whether teen brains are more damaged by marijuana than adult brains has come into sharper focus ever since Californians in November passed Proposition 64, legalizing recreational use of the weed. The law forbids anyone under age 21 from purchasing it when cannabis shops open next January, but there’s fear in some circles that its legality will make pot even more acceptable among California youths than it is now.

In Marin County, where weed has always been as easy to find as a glass of good cabernet, Golick has treated about 180 boys and girls who are dependent on cannabis. She knows that the Reagan-era “Just Say No” message doesn’t work. But Golick, who works for Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services, also knows that teens need to think ahead about the consequences of what they do.

“You should know what you’re getting into. You should know what will happen,” she said. “Be an informed consumer — you make the choice.”

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