Welcome to Wellness on Mass. I'm Dr. Nicole Sapphire, and this is your weekly rundown. I want to talk to you about

cannabis today because it seems like everyone's talking about it, the normalization of it, the commercialization of it, and whether public health is just keeping up with the science. Seems to me, people are actually starting to pay attention. If you scream loud enough at the

potential harms, it takes a while, but it sounds like people are starting to listen. So let's start

with reality. Cannabis is now legal for medical use in most states and recreational use,

you know, for fun in more than half the country. But the perception of harm is dropping, meaning people are not

realizing that it actually has some risks, especially young adults and teenagers. Well, teenagers,

they seem to be pretty risk-averse. They don't necessarily think anything is risky. But the biology

hasn't changed just because the laws have changed, there are risks.

Here's what we know. According to the CDC, about three and ten people who use cannabis become

addicted to it, called cannabis use disorder. That number climbs to nearly half among people

who smoke or use cannabis in whatever form they're using it in daily.

And the younger someone starts, the higher their risk for dependency.

Now, why is that an issue?

Well, let me tell you, it's not because some study just came out last month.

No, in fact, the oldest study that I know of is from 2012 that shows teenagers, young adults who regularly use

cannabis and THC products have lower IQs.

Uh-oh, that's not good.

Fast forward.

2016, 2017, 2020, studies all coming out showing younger users that use cannabis and THC have a higher risk of psychosis,

schizophrenia, particularly in young men. There's also higher rates of anxiety and panic disorders,

impaired attention, memory, executive function, increased emergency department's visits for

hyper-emesis syndrome.

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