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When a person uses marijuana, the principal psychoactive chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) passes from the lungs or digestive tract into the bloodstream. The blood carries THC to the brain, where it acts on specific cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are predominantly found in areas of the brain associated with concentration, thinking, sensory and time perception, pleasure, memory, and coordination.3 Over activation of these areas by THC causes the “high” that people feel.4 Marijuana use can impair Functions, such as attention, memory, and learning, and these effects can last up to several days beyond the time of actual “high”

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The Substance abuse and Mental health Agency reports that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States, according to results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. An estimated 43.5 million individuals reported using marijuana during the past year.1 Marijuana use is widespread among young people. Some statistics of its use include:

3.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 (about 1 in 8) used marijuana in the past year

11.8 million young adults aged 18 to 25 (about 1 in 3) used marijuana in the past year

14% of 8th graders have used marijuana in their lifetime

33% of 10th graders have used marijuana in their lifetime

44% of 12th graders have used marijuana in their lifetime

22% of 12th graders have used marijuana in the past month

6% of 12th graders (about 1 in 16) use marijuana on a daily basis

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Which portions of the brain are affected by the use of your substance?
Prefrontal Cortex
How long is the brain affected by the use of this substance?
Some studies suggest regular marijuana use in adolescence is associated with altered connectivity and reduced volume of specific brain regions involved in a broad range of executive functions such as memory, learning, and impulse control compared to people who do not use.
Why is the adolescent brain more susceptible to addiction?
The PFC is still forming/ developing.

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Where is the prefrontal cortex?
In the very front of the brain.
What does it do?
The prefrontal cortex plays a central role in cognitive control functions, and dopamine in the Prefrontal Cortex modulates cognitive control, thereby influencing attention, impulse inhibition, prospective memory, and cognitive flexibility.
How is it affected by adolescence?
As the prefrontal cortex matures, teenagers can reason better, develop more control over impulses and make judgments better.

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Where is the amygdala located?
The amygdala is located in the medial temporal lobe, just anterior to (in front of) the hippocampus.
What does it control?
The amygdala is commonly thought to form the core of a neural system for processing fearful and threatening stimuli.
How s this changing in adolescence?
When hormones surge in puberty, the amygdala grows in size and becomes more active, leading to rash and emotional behavior.

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What is the result of both of these things?

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What is the result of both of these things?

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In Pruning during adolescence is highly specific and can be pronounced, resulting in a loss of close to 50% of the synaptic connections in some regions, but with little decline in others. With myelination These studies have also shown that teens have less white matter (myelin) in the frontal lobes compared to adults, and that myelin in the frontal lobes increases throughout adolescence. With more myelin comes the growth of important neurocircuitry, allowing for better flow of information between brain regions.

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Myelination is the process by which brain oligodendrocytes produce layers of myelin that wrap around the neuronal axons and act as a layer of insulation for the transmission of electric action potentials down the neuronal axon.

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Synaptic pruning is a natural process that occurs in the brain between early childhood and adulthood. During synaptic pruning, the brain eliminates extra synapses. Synapses are brain structures that allows the neurons to transmit an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron.