Cannabis Use Associated With Myriad Negative Impacts in Adolescents Even With Infrequent Use

A study examining the impact of cannabis use on adolescents found that even infrequent use was associated with poor academic performance, emotional states, impulsivity, and issues with self-regulation when compared with peers who didn’t use cannabis. Researchers found the negative impacts of cannabis use to be present regardless of frequency of use, but more severe for younger users. The study, “Cannabis Use Among US Adolescents,” published in the January 2025 Pediatrics (published online on Dec. 23), examined over 162,500 responses to a national survey of public high school students in grades 8, 10 and 12 between 2018 and 2022. About 74% of respondents reported no cannabis use with the remaining 26% reporting noncurrent use. Frequent cannabis users (monthly at 4.8%, weekly at 3.6% and near-daily at 4.6%) were more likely to be older, with the median age around 17 years old. Researchers found cannabis use was associated with 2 to 5 times increased odds of low academic achievement. Cannabis use was also associated with low social engagement, high impulsivity and aggression, as well as increased symptoms of anxiety, distress, and low self-esteem.  Authors state that their findings underscore the need for routine inquiry regarding cannabis use in adolescents. 

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