Negative Impacts of High Potency THC on the Developing Brain and Mental Health - This Is NOT "Medicine"-Recording - Negative Impacts of High Potency THC on the Developing Brain and Mental Health: This Is NOT "Medicine"

Recording - Negative Impacts of High Potency THC on the Developing Brain and Mental Health: This Is NOT "Medicine"

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this presentation, Dr. Libby Stout, an addiction psychiatrist, discusses the negative impacts of high-potency THC on the developing brain and mental health. She explains that THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, can block the brain's natural chemicals and disrupt normal functioning. She also highlights the increase in potency of cannabis products in recent years, with some concentrates containing up to 90% THC. Dr. Stout warns that there is no research on the medical benefits of these high-potency concentrates, despite them being marketed as medicine. Instead, studies have shown that high-potency THC can have significant negative effects on mental health, including increased risk of psychosis, depression, anxiety, and addiction. She emphasizes the importance of the endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in regulating brain activity and is particularly vulnerable during adolescent development. Dr. Stout also discusses the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and potential negative effects on the developing brain of the offspring. She highlights the increase in cannabis-related poisonings in children, particularly due to edibles packaged in attractive ways that can be mistaken for candy. Dr. Stout also addresses the associations between cannabis use and violence, suicide rates, and the worsening of symptoms in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. Finally, she discusses the lack of evidence that cannabis helps with pain and highlights the correlation between cannabis use and the opioid epidemic. In conclusion, Dr. Stout stresses the need for education, increased treatment availability, stricter regulations, public service announcements, and regular data collection to better understand and address the negative impacts of high-potency THC.

Keywords

high-potency THC

developing brain

mental health

cannabis

negative effects

adolescent development

cannabis-related poisonings

edibles

opioid epidemic

data collection