It is clear in the published scientific literature that there are more studies conducted on adults and cannabis use than adolescents. That being said, there are some reasons to believe that adolescents may be uniquely susceptible to lasting damage from cannabis use.
The main reason for this is that the brain is still “under construction”, at least until the early or mid-20’s. During this period of neurodevelopment, the brain has been shown to be particularly sensitive to damage from drug exposure.
The brain develops from birth until about age 25 in stages. The first stages of development are the regions regions closer to the back of the head (such as those areas that control breathing). The last stages of development happen in the front of your brain, such as the frontal cortex. The frontal cortex is the region critical to judgment, decision-making, planning and personality. This area would most likely be impacted by adolescent cannabis use.
In addition, the endocannabinoid system is not fully developed in adolescents. Which is a large part of the mechanism of cannabis on the brain, as discussed in biology and mechanism.
The reason adults over 25 are not at the same risk is that these cannabinoid receptors have done their job finishing brain development. Additionally, research suggests that this function is turned off by the cannabinoid receptors changing their pattern of expression (where in the brain the receptors exist).
Check out this research article on the effects of cannabis on the adolescent brain:
Vaping is a relatively new way of using cannabis. An interesting study conducted by Dr. Jibran Khokhar at The University of Guelph, demonstrated that vaping cannabis only once can impact the brain.
Check out this press release outlining the findings:
