Taking cannabis regularly in your mid-20s can cause permanent damage to the brain and its legalization in some states has wrongly suggested to many that it is safe, the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has told DailyMail.com.
Dr Nora Volkow, who has led the agency for almost two decades, warned that cannabis use among young adults was a 'concern' and called for more 'urgent' research into the 'potential health risks' for the age group.
Her agency — which is part of the National Institutes of Health — revealed Monday that a record number of 19 to 30-year-olds were using cannabis in 2021, with one in ten admitting to using it every day. Around 30 percent used the drug at least once a month, with four-in-ten having used the drug at least once last year. ...
Health agencies in the U.S. have been warning for years there is a 'real risk' that cannabis can harm a person's mental development and their social life — including triggering problems with relationships, education and careers.
But their concerns have largely been swept under the carpet as many states push forward with legalizing the drug for recreational use.
In November another six states — Arkansas, Maryland, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Oklahoma — are set to decide whether to also liberalize the drug's use.
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