>> >>AMITA: MARIJUANA USE MONG TEENAGERS IS AT ITS HIGHEST IN 30 YEARS.
KIDS SMOKE POT MORE THAN ANY OTHER ILLEGAL DRUG.
MANY DON'T THINK IT'S DANGEROUS, BUT LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE ALARMED ABOUT THE HARMFUL
EFFECTS ON CHRONIC MARIJUANA USE ON LEARNING.
CARMEN PULIDO JOINS ME.
WELCOME.
LET'S START WITH THE HARD DATA ON MARIJUANA USE AMONG LOCAL TEENS.
IN 2011, 26% OF NINTH GRADERS AND 39% OF 11TH GRADERS REPORTED USING OR TRYING MARIJUANA
ALSO IN 2011 THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN THOSE GRADES REPORTED USING MARIJUANA IN THE
LAST 30 DAYS.
IT GREW BY 50%.
WHY ARE MORE TEENS USING MARIJUANA NOW?
>> >>CARMEN PULIDO: WE ARE ALL ASKING OURSELVES THAT QUESTION.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE FOUND OUT IN OUR RESEARCH IS THAT MAYBE WE HAVE
PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON OUTREACHES AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION ON OTHER SUBSTANCES LIKE ALCOHOL
AND HARDER DRUGS, BUT WE HAVE KIND OF LEFT MARIJUANA TO BE.
A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS AT UCSD WERE FOCUSING A LITTLE BIT MORE AND REALLY GETTING SOME
HARD DATA IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA USE IN THE ADOLESCENT YEARS SO
PEOPLE CAN MAKE BETTERINFORMED DECISIONS WHEN IT COMES TO INITIATING SUBSTANCE USE.
>> >>AMITA: AND IN TERMS OF INFORMATION, A LOT OF STUDENTS, A LOT OF TEENAGERS THINK,
LOOK, MARIJUANA IS A NATURAL USH, THEY KNOWN HUSH, THEY KNOW THAT CANCER PATIENTS USE IT.
BUT YOU'VE RESEARCHED THE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA USE ON THE BRAIN DURING ADOLESCENCE, WHAT
DOES YOUR RESEARCH SHOW?
>> >>CARMEN PULIDO: SO I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF A LARGER GROUP OF RESEARCHERS
AT UCSD.
WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT RECENT MARIJUANA USE IN ADOLESCENCE THAT ARE OTHER WISE FAIRLY
HEALTHY SHOW THAT IT MAKES AN AFFECT IN THEIR ABILITY TO LEARN VERBAL MATERIAL TO USE THEIR
WORKING MEMORY AND TO ATTEND TO INFORMATION.
THIS IS WE'VE SEEN SEVEN DAYS FROM LAST YEAR.
THESE RESULTS OF IMPAIRMENT AND DISABILITIES IS WHEN WE COMPARE THEM TO HEALTHY ADOLESCENCE
NOT USING ANY SUBSTANCES.
>> >>AMITA: IS THE DAMAGE LONGTERM?
>> >>CARMEN PULIDO: THERE'S GOOD NEWS, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE OBSERVED THAT AFTER SOME
ABSTINENCE, IT THESE PEOPLE RECOVER.
WE KNOW THAT AFTER TWO OR THREE WEEKS THINGS LIKE WORKING MEMORY AND LEARNING OF MATERIAL
IMPROVES SO YOU CAN REALLY TELL APART HEALTHY ADOLESCENCE FROM MARIJUANA USERS.
OTHER COGNITIVE ABILITIES LIKE ATTENTION OR ERRORS IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING APPEAR TO
LINGER A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
EVEN LONGER THAN A MONTH.
>> >>AMITA: A LOT OF THESE TEENS HAVE PARENTS WHO COME FROM A GENERATION WHERE MARIJUANA
USE WAS RAMPANT.
BUT THE MARIJUANA THAT'S USED NOW ISN'T THEIR FATHER'S MARIJUANA OR THEIR MOTHER'S MARIJUANA,
IS IT?
>> >>CARMEN PULIDO: RIGHT.
SO SOME STUDIES SUGGEST THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING UP TO SIXFOLD INCREASE IN THE PSYCHOACTIVE
INGREDIENT OF TODAY'S MARIJUANA.
SO WHAT THIS SUGGESTS IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SMOKING NOWADAYS MIGHT BE A LOT MORE POTENT
AND THIS WILL LEAD TO GREATER TRACES OF TOXINS IN THE BRAIN, SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE PARTICULARLY
IN KNOWING WHAT KIND OF EFFECTS CAN THIS LEAD TO.
>> >>AMITA: WHAT SIGNS SHOULD PARENTS LOOK FOR IN DISCERNING OR DETECTING WHETHER THEIR
KIDS ARE USING POT?
>> >>CARMEN PULIDO: PARENTS IDENTIFY MARIJUANA USE AND I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR
THEM TO BE MINDFUL OF ANY CHANGES IN THE ADOLESCENCE BEHAVIOR, NOT WANTING TO HANG OUT WITH THEIR
FRIENDS, CHANGING IN THEIR GRADES, NOT DISCUSSING WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE ANYMORE.
THESE TOGETHER WITH MAYBE SOME OTHER BEHAVIORS LIKE BEING MORE SECRETIVE OR SPENDING MORE
TIME ALONE WITH THEIR PEER, OR IN THEIR ROOM.
I THINK THAT THESE WOULD BE SOME THINGS THAT COULD SUGGEST THAT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING.
AND I THINK A GOOD IDEA WOULD BE FOR PARENTS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION EARLY ON.
IF THEY HAVE A SUSPICION THAT THEIR TEENAGER ARE USING MARIJUANA.
>> >>AMITA: WHAT EFFECT DO MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS HAVE ON THE USAGE OF MARIJUANA AMONG
TEENAGERS?
>> >>CARMEN PULIDO: ANY KIND OF CHANGES IN LAW OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD SUGGEST INCREASE
OF AVAILABILITY AND PERMISSIVENESS OF THE SUBSTANCE, THAT BEING MARIJUANA OR ANY OTHER
SUBSTANCE, IS LIKELY TO INCREASE THE ACCESS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR TEENAGERS TO USE MORE.
SO THIS IS JUST WHAT THESE CHANGES WERE TO SUGGEST.
>> >>AMITA: FOR MORE INFORMATION PEOPLE CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE KPBS.ORG.
CARMEN, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN TODAY.
>> >>CARMEN PULIDO: THANK YOU.