Marijuana use is becoming more prevalent in today’s society, and before you hop on the bandwagon, you need to know the risks associated with Marijuana use. Social media, peer pressure, and the widespread legalization, force many people to believe that the consumption of Marijuana has no negative effects. This is not true. Marijuana use has a strong correlation with your mental state, emotional status, and academic and extracurricular achievements. Not to mention, the recreational use of Marijuana is illegal in Connecticut.

There have been multiple case studies that have proven that Marijuana has a direct effect on your cognitive function of the brain. This affects how well you are able to think, read, learn, remember, and pay attention.  According to Psychology Today, “They found that the neural connections between the brain’s left and right hemispheres were impaired in the marijuana users relative to the non-users, which could mean that smokers’ brains have poorer internal communication.”

After constant use, Marijuana has a strong effect on the limbic system, which is located in the Temporal Lobe in the Brain. This part of the brain affects emotion which in the long term, can cause mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Many teenage users are unaware of the short term risks which include, “heighten[ing] of your senses, change[s] to your sense of time, make[s] you anxious, afraid, or panicked, [and] makes you hallucinate”. (WebMd) These factors can have a huge strain on a person’s’ ability to make rational decisions. Don’t make the mistake of falling in this hole. Doctors are cautioning teens to stay away from Marijuana use now more than ever.

Here at Hall High School, we decided to anonymously interview a random sample of students to determine how many have smoked and the frequency with which they currently smoke. We polled these students’ about the negative experiences associated with marijuana. One student said, “It slows me down when I play sports or when I’m trying to focus on school work.” Your high school years are crucial. They are the building blocks to college and your professional life. You need to be ten toes down so you can maximize your knowledge and put yourself ahead of those who are distracted from the keys of success. Another student at Hall said, “I don’t want to do homework after I smoke some weed. I find myself glued to the couch.” People who are involved in sports: you can see how much this could affect you in sports. You become slow and lazy. Before you make the decision to participate in any form of Marijuana, think about how all these factors can affect your life.

Out of the thirteen random students who were interviewed, only four had stated that they have never smoked Marijuana in their life and surely don’t have any intentions of doing so. Student A’s reasoning is that, “our brains are still developing, and it will definitely make you paranoid” similarly, Student B believes that, “it is not something you should be doing at this point in your life, and I am scared that it may be laced.” Most of the students reported bad experiences, and valid reasons to not pursue in the hype.