Report: Marijuana Use In Teens Can Lead To Mental Illness

Washington D.C. (AHN) - Teens who use marijuana to avoid depression have a 40 percent risk of developing mental disorders or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report released Friday.

The report, released to coincide with May's Mental Health Awareness Month, shows a whooping two million teens felt depressed at some point during the past year. Depressed teens are more than twice as likely as non-depressed teens to have used marijuana or other illicit drugs during that same period.

Depressed teens are also more than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become dependent on marijuana, a drug that is associated with depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.

John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said in a press release, "Marijuana is a more consequential substance of abuse than our culture has treated it in the last 20 years. This is not just youthful experimentation that they'll get over as we used to think in the past."

Although marijuana use among teens has dropped by 25 percent since 2001, more teens use marijuana than all other illicit drugs combined. The new report, "Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent Data Shows 'Self-Medicating' Could Actually Make Things Worse," also says that many teens are under the false impression that there's marijuana is harmless.

About 2.3 million kids use pot at least once a month, the drug control office said. The report also urges parents of teens to be more involved in their lives.

"Monitor your teen's activities; ask questions and know how he or she spends time; set limits about drug use with clear rules and consequences for breaking them," the report added.