“For those who see their classmates coming to school high or watch how it affects their learning environment, smoking can become more than just a personal choice; it's not only affecting you, it's affecting everyone around you too. But being able to understand why teenagers take that route can help us look past all the stereotypes and focus on what these teens are really going through.”
Nowadays, marijuana has become something more than just what teens are smoking; it has shifted over into a culture promoted all over social media, whether it's simple hype, packaging, known brands, or accessories making it stand out. To many, it may seem like just another “trend” among the younger generation, but in reality, the internet is what makes it harder to ignore. So, this raises a bigger question: Are teenagers smoking because they want to “fit in,” or is there more to the story behind the smoke than people realize?
On that note, weed CAN be used for simple enjoyment/fun; although for the majority, it can become a way to cope with stress, anger, problems at home, grief, medical issues, etc. But at the same time, weed can affect one's memory, concentration, school attitude, and motivation, proving to us this crisis has more significance than we might've been aware of.
I interviewed 2 teens for this story (who remain anonymous), but they described reasons as to why they believe teenagers turn to marijuana. It was said that one's environment can play a major role, especially if they were brought up seeing it in the neighborhood and/or from relatives. In addition, it could also stem from parental struggles, not knowing how to cope properly; it's viewed as a way to "escape".
There isn't concurrent reasoning as to why teenagers decide to use marijuana, but some honorable mentions were depression, being bullied, losing loved one(s), school pressure, or just the simple desire to relax. To add on, it was said that weed can help get a good night's rest & control ADHD.
Furthermore, research shows that coping and enjoyment were the main reasons adolescents began using marijuana. In 2023, a UC Davis Health article reported on a study surrounding teenagers 15-18 years of age, finding out that smoking weed connected back to more negative than positive consequences. Such as trouble recuperating things, difficulty concentrating, increased anxiety levels, overall just competency in general.
The CDC spreads awareness on the adolescent brain, saying it doesn't stop developing until about the age of 25 & marijuana usage in early adolescence can harm that progress. For example, these were some key points made: "In 2022, 30.7% of 12th graders reported using cannabis in the past year, and 6.3% reported using cannabis daily in the past 30 days. Cannabis use can have permanent effects on the developing brain when use begins in adolescence, especially with regular or heavy use." It was also said that your ability to retain information, problem-solve, and balance both school/social life will deteriorate as well.
The shared experiences between the two teenagers do also raise questions surrounding how marijuana use affects students outside of schoolwork. One of the anonymous teens described feeling more paranoid & experiencing mood swings, while the other said weed can makes things feel "quiet", giving them a better insight and/or perspective on life. I say this to say that everyone's experience is different, but marijuana is way more impactful beyond the classroom.
Harvard Health also explains that marijuana can affect the developing teenage brain, particularly areas connected to decision-making and learning. This adds to an issue that's already been recognized throughout our communities/school system(s).
Among all the questions I asked the 2 teenagers, this one stood out most: What is the biggest misconception surrounding teenage marijuana use? One said we are labeled as "delinquents" or assumed to not be capable of graduating/keeping a job. The other said we're looked at as "bums", called "stupid", told we have "no life outside of smoking weed", even though using marijuana doesn't decide someone's future.
This now raises an even bigger question: What is going on in these teenagers' lives that they feel the need to turn to marijuana?
For those who see their classmates coming to school high or watch how it affects their learning environment, smoking can become more than just a personal choice; it's not only affecting you, it's affecting everyone around you too. But being able to understand why teenagers take that route can help us look past all the stereotypes and focus on what these teens are really going through.