Every year, more and more government, private and university research shows that marijuana use dramatically increases the chance of mental diseases such as anxiety and schizophrenia.

Hear from Sarah Girls and Mental Health How Do You Deal? Links and Resources Help A Friend Post on the Boards

• Weekly marijuana use can double the risk of depression later in life?¹
   
• This risk is even higher for girls; female marijuana users are five times more likely to be depressed at 21 than non-users.²
   
• Teens age 12 to 17 who smoke marijuana weekly are three times more likely than non-users to have thoughts about committing suicide.³
   
• Marijuana use is also linked to an increase in past year anxiety and panic attacks.⁴
   
• Marijuana use during adolescence can increase the chance of schizophrenia.⁵
   
• The risk of developing schizophrenia is greater with users who begin at an early age.⁶
   
• The earlier teens start using marijuana, the more likely they are to become dependant later in life.⁷
   
• Today, more teens enter treatment for marijuana dependency than for all other illicit drugs combined.⁸
   

The most important thing to realize when feeling stressed out is that you are not alone. Getting older is tough and everyone has their own way of dealing. Here are some examples of how some Freevibe readers get their rush from healthy activities. You may keep yourself busy with sports, writing poetry or hanging out with friends. Read these suggestions and then submit your own thoughts on the message boards.
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Myra
Stress is something that we all have experienced in our lives. I got a tablet and a pen one day and wrote down my thoughts and feelings — it made me feel so much better to just get it out. So now I write all of my thoughts and turn it into rap and when I act it comes out freely. You don’t necessarily have to have talent as long as you’re determined. back to top

SpiQffy
When I am really stressed out I shut myself in my room and listen to my favorite music. It works for me, maybe it will work for some of you too. back to top

DrugsRbadd
My new step mom is moving in, my stepsister who is a senior in high school is pregnant, my older brother is kinda aggressive and violent, my dad is being a jerk, my mom's health isn’t doing well...so I play the guitar, talk to my friends and teachers to decrease my stress. If that doesn’t help I go online and/or talk to a counselor. back to top

More:
Post on the boards and tell others how you deal with the tough stuff.

Check out Freevibe’s Drug Information pages.

Help a friend who is dealing with drug abuse, go to the Step Up section.

Sources:
¹Patton, GC et al. Cannabis use and mental health in young people: cohort study. British Medical Journal, 325:1195–1198, 2002.

² Patton, G.C., Coffey C, Carlin J.B., Degenhardt L., Lynskey M., Hall W. (2002) Cannabis use and mental health in young people: cohort study. BMJ 325, 1195-1198.

³Greenblatt, J. Adolescent self-reported behaviors and their association with marijuana use. Based on data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1994-1996, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), 1998.

⁴Greenblatt, J. (1998), Adolescent self-reported behaviors and their association with marijuana use. National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1994-1996 SAMHSA

⁵Arseneault, L et al. Cannabis use in adolescence and risk for adult psychosis: longitudinal prospective study. British Medical Journal, 325: 1212–1213, 2002; Veen, N et al. Cannabis use and age at onset of schizophrenia. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 161: 501–506, 2004.

⁶Arseneault L., et al. Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence. British Journal of Psychiatry, 184: 110-117, 2004

⁷Gfroerer, JC and Epstein, JF. Marijuana initiates and their impact on future drug abuse treatment need. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 54(3):229-237, 1999; Anthony, JC and Petronis, KR. Early-onset drug use and risk of later drug problems. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 40: 9-15, 1995; Grant BF and Dawson, DA, Age of onset of drug use and its association with DSM-IV drug abuse and dependence; Results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. Journal of Substance Abuse, 10:163-173, 1998.

⁸Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies. Treatment Episode Data Set 1992-2000; National Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment Services. DASIS Series: S-17, DHHS Pub. No. (SMA) 02-3727, 2002.

⁹The Commonwealth Fund survey of the health of adolescent girls, New York: The Commonwealth Fund, 1997.

¹⁰National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Formative years: Pathways to substance abuse among girls and young women ages 8-22. Columbia University, New York NY, 2003.

¹¹The Commonwealth Fund survey of the health of adolescent girls, New York: The Commonwealth Fund, 1997.