Stoner Statistics

So you think that weed is harmless. After all it’s an innocent herb and is even used to treat certain medical conditions. However, what you may not know is that there are huge differences between the way marijuana affects adults and affects young people.

So what are the actual stoner statistics?

No matter what you call it; weed, marijuana, pot, mary jane, 420, smoke, dope, bud, green, ganja, herb, high, reefer, grass, cannabis, hash, skunk, joint, dank or chronic, there are some real health and developmental risks for young people associated with cannabis.

Science still doesn’t know all the intricacies of how the complicated brain works in the first place and less is known about how it works when it’s full of pot.

However, studies have uncovered some very real stoner statistics that should be cause for concern for our youth. While stoners get a ‘high’, pot also triggers a number of changes in brain function and behavior.

Stoner statistics on learning ability:

1.) Research shows that pot changes the balance of chemicals in the brain that regulate mood, energy, appetite, and attention.

2.) Research shows that pot changes the learning and memory processes, and can cause one to be forgetful and reduce concentration.

3.) Research shows that pot also reduces logical thinking and calculation skills, and can impair a user's ability to perform complex tasks, including driving a car.

Scary stoner statistics:

1.) Research shows that young people that use weekly can double the risk of depression later in life.

2.) Research shows that the risk of depression is even higher for girls; female stoners are five times more likely to be depressed at age 21 than non-users.

3.) Research shows that young people (age 12 to 17) who smoke pot weekly are 3 times more likely to have thoughts about committing suicide than people that don’t use.

4.) Research shows that pot use is also linked to users having an increase in anxiety and panic attacks.

5.) Research shows that pot use during adolescence can increase the chance of schizophrenia. As well, the earlier one begins using pot, the more risk of developing schizophrenia.

6.) Research shows that today, more teens enter treatment for marijuana dependency than for all other illicit drugs combined and large numbers of teens move on to experiment with other forms of illicit drugs.

Uncovering all of the actual stoner statistics and how pot affects the brain is still probably some years away. However, this much is known right now:

Heavy smokers in general and longtime stoners in particular are more likely to experience ongoing problems than occasional smokers and nonsmokers.

In adults, research indicates that these changes are temporary. But young people are at risk for possible long-range developmental problems.

Remember: Smoke enough dope and dope could end up smoking your future.