Doctors warn teens pot use can be harmful

CHICAGO — An influential doctors group in the U.S. is beefing up warnings about marijuana’s potential harms for teens.

Many parents use the drug and think it’s OK for their kids, but “we would rather not mess around with the developing brain,” said Dr. Seth Ammerman.

The advice comes in a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, published Monday in Pediatrics. The group opposes medical and recreational marijuana use for kids. It says emphasizing that message is important because many jurisdictions have legalized medical use for adults, and decriminalized or legalized adults’ recreational use.

Those trends have led parents to ask doctors about kids’ use, said Ammerman, a Stanford University pediatrics professor who co-wrote the report. “Parents will say: ‘I use it moderately and I’m fine with it, so it’s … not a problem if my kid uses it,’ ” he said.

Parents and teens need to know the risks, Ammerman said.

The brain continues to develop until the early 20s, raising concerns about the potential shortand long-term effects of a mindaltering drug. Some studies suggest teens who use marijuana at least 10 times a month develop changes in brain regions affecting memory and the ability to plan. Some changes may be permanent, the report says.

Frequent use starting in the early teen years may lower IQ scores, and some studies have shown that starting marijuana use at a young age is more likely to lead to addiction than starting in adulthood. Not all teen users develop these problems and some may be more vulnerable because of genetics or other factors.

Solid research on medical marijuana’s effects in children and teens is lacking, although some studies have suggested it may benefit kids with hard-to-treat seizures. The report says other potential benefits, doses and effects are mostly unknown.

Parents should avoid using marijuana in front of their kids and should keep all marijuana products stored out of kids’ sight, the academy says.