The chief physician wants young cannabis users to quit as early as possible. She is worried about the depletion of many people, at the same time as the active ingredient becomes stronger.

Image: by K Ch of Unsplash

This writes nrk.no.

Chief physician warns

They write further:

- The earlier you start using cannabis before you are 18, and the more times you use it before the brain is fully developed, the greater the risk of developing psychosis and psychotic disorders, says Melissa Weibell. 

Strong increase in drug addicts with cannabis as the main problem

In the case, it also appears that the typical cannabis patient in Norway is in his mid - 20s, at the same time every seventh is still only in their teens. These numbers are taken from onereport from the National Institute of Public Health which was published last autumn, and which showed that the number of drug addicts with cannabis as the main problem has increased by 44 percent in Norway since 2010.

Nrk.no further writes that there are many young people who point out that many in their age group perceive cannabis as harmless.

Youth talk about normalization

Melissa Weibell tells nrk.no:

Some may think that "I have tried, and I have smoked a few weekends and notice no difference". But it's not quite like that, says Melissa Weibell at Stavanger University Hospital who has researched drug use.

The brain is developing into the 20s. You do not get a brain injury from smoking cannabis once, but very many small changes in the long run, will have a greater impact over time. This is important for people to know.

Early help

Weibell emphasizes the importance of helping young people get into cannabis problems at an early stage:

If we get the young people out of the abuse early, then the prognoses are much better than for the others. Our research shows that early intervention can be the key.

Research on the consequences of cannabis use

Much research has been done on the relationship between cannabis use and various negative consequences. 

1. In a Danish register study with over 3 million people included, they found one greatly increased risk of schizophrenia (a form of severe and often chronic psychosis) in patients with substance abuse disorders. The strongest association was with cannabis disorders, followed by those with alcohol disorders. 
2. In a review article (review study) that summarized available research on the connection between cannabis use and psychosis, it was concluded that we now have sufficient evidence to warn young people that cannabis use may increase the risk of psychosis later in life.
3. A Norwegian twin study clearly concluded that it is cannabis abuse leading to symptoms of psychosis, not the other way around.
4. In a longitudinal study of people who used cannabis frequently, it was found that this group had a huge increased risk of also using other narcotic drugs compared to people who have not used cannabis. This risk was as much as 140 times as high among those who use cannabis frequently. In other words, the study documents that cannabis is often a gateway to the use of other drugs.
5. In another recent review article that summarized available research on the relationship between cannabis and cognitive impairments, it was concluded that it is well documented that cannabis use is associated with impaired cognitive functions both in the acute drug phase, and in connection with long-term use.
6. Another review article also found that cannabis use is related to, among other things anxiety and suicide risk. 
7. Finally, a review article that also looked at mortality associated with cannabis use, concluded that we do not yet know whether cannabis use increases the risk of death and / or suicide. In this area, there is relatively little research, it is noted.

Taken together, these studies provide a clear picture that cannabis use is clearly associated with many negative consequences, primarily related to mental health and cognitive functioning. These are difficulties that can have a very negative effect on the lives of young people.

Sources

• - The risk of psychosis can increase every time you smoke - The risk of psychosis can increase every time you smoke. Nrk.no
• Association between alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit substance abuse and risk of developing schizophrenia: a nationwide population based register study. Psychological Medicine
• Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: a systematic review. The Lancet
• Norwegian study: Cannabis abuse triples the risk of psychosis. Aftenposten.no
• Does cannabis use encourage other forms of illicit drug use? Addiction
• An Evidence Based Review of Acute and Long-Term Effects of Cannabis Use on Executive Cognitive Functions. Journal of Addiction Medicine
• Acute and Long-Term Effects of Cannabis Use: A Review. Current Pharmaceutical Design
• Does cannabis use increase the risk of death? Systematic review of epidemiological evidence on adverse effects of cannabis use. Drug and Alcohol Review