A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology found that people who smoke marijuana are less likely to go on to graduate school, and more likely to drop out of college.
The what impact can marijuana have on the user’s performance in school? mystudentbody is a question that has been asked by many people. Two researchers explain how it can alter more than just moods.
People report smoking marijuana to get high, experience improved emotions, build social relationships, or deal with particular thoughts and moods, according to research.
There were small decreases in motives for using marijuana for celebratory reasons and slight increases in motivations for using marijuana for boredom among young people early in the pandemic, perhaps owing to initial physical distancing requirements and stay-at-home directives. However, emotions of pleasure or the high associated with marijuana use are among the primary motivations for smoking, both before and after the epidemic. We don’t know what effect these changing motives for marijuana use will have, or if tendencies observed during the epidemic would persist thereafter.
What percentage of college students use marijuana?
With 18 states – the first of which did so in 2012 – legalizing cannabis for non-medical or “recreational” reasons, access to marijuana has grown, particularly among college students over the age of 21. While the last three reports from Monitoring the Future – a nationwide drug use study done yearly by the University of Michigan – indicate that between 43 percent and 44 percent of college students had used cannabis in the previous year, more than half of students do not. This is significant because studies have shown that when individuals believe “everyone” is doing something, they are more likely to start doing it or do it more.
Researchers often utilize the previous month’s usage as an indication of current use, as opposed to any use in the previous year. Given that just approximately a quarter of college students report using marijuana in the previous month, this means that three-quarters of students do not report using marijuana in the previous month, and not using marijuana is the most frequent activity.
What effect does marijuana have on academic performance?
We hear students say things like marijuana is “safe,” “natural,” or “simply weed” as researchers who deal with college students, yet data offers a completely different picture regarding possible dangers. This is especially true of high-potency cannabis, which currently dominates markets in both legal and medicinal jurisdictions.
According to published studies, the more often a college student consumes cannabis, the worse their GPA, the more they report missing classes, and the longer it takes them to graduate. The link between marijuana use and decreased attention and memory is perhaps the most direct effect on academic performance. For years, this connection has been documented, even among college students.
The good news is that studies that track people’s abstinence indicate that when they quit using marijuana, their cognitive function improves, but abstinence may take up to 28 days. So much relies on how frequently someone uses marijuana, as well as the kind or strength of marijuana they consume. Whatever the case may be, it seems that the more individuals use, the more likely they are to have problems with concentration, memory, and other cognitive skills.
The authors of a paper published in August 2021 regarding suggested recommendations for lower-risk cannabis usage stated that individuals who use cannabis and have poor cognitive function should consider taking a break or substantially decreasing how much they use, or the strength of what they consume.
Are there any educational or intellectual advantages?
In our discussions with college students, we’ve heard some students claim that when they don’t use marijuana, they can’t sit still or feel restless and nervous. These kids may believe that using marijuana is “beneficial” to them.
Unfortunately, the anxiety and restlessness people feel when they aren’t smoking marijuana may constitute withdrawal symptoms. Those signs may potentially point to a cannabis addiction, often known as a cannabis use disorder. This may imply that if students continue to use marijuana, they may feel less anxious or restless, but they are really putting an end to withdrawal symptoms by restarting usage.
We are not aware of any research that link marijuana use to academic or educational advantages.
Is there anything we’re overlooking?
On today’s cannabis products, science is still playing catch-up. THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana that causes the “high,” is probably the most well-studied of the numerous cannabinoids found in the plant. THC concentrations in the United States averaged less than 2% in the 1970s, 3 percent in the 1980s, 4 percent by the mid-1990s, and over 15% by 2018.
We are witnessing much greater concentrations now, particularly in legal markets. In Washington state, for example, flower products — that is, marijuana that is smoked – often reach 20% THC. Concentrates, such as dabs, hash oil, and other products, often contain more than 60% THC.
Anything with more than 10% THC is called “high potency” cannabis. High-potency cannabis usage is linked to a variety of negative consequences, including an increased risk of cannabis use disorder and negative mental health effects. Young individuals seem to be more susceptible. Although some individuals claim that marijuana usage isn’t that dangerous, new research show that cannabis use may raise damages and hazards for those who use it. These problems may vary from difficulty focusing and paying attention to feeling antisocial or paranoid among college students.
Jason R. Kilmer, University of Washington Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Christine M. Lee, University of Washington Research Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
The effects of marijuana use on body systems development is a research paper that discusses how smoking marijuana can alter more than just moods.
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