I grew up believing marijuana was harmless. Then it nearly took my child's life. Here is what every parent needs to know about today's marijuana.

What I Grew Up Believing

When I was growing up, marijuana was considered harmless. I often heard people say it wasn't addictive and that it was safer than alcohol.

Then marijuana became legal in Washington State, and that belief only got stronger. After all, why would the state legalize something dangerous?

I know now how wrong that thinking was.

How Marijuana Affected My Child

In 2022, my child started smoking pot, mostly to cope with their depression and anxiety. Before long, they were diagnosed with cannabis use disorder, an addiction to marijuana.

Then a pattern began. My child would use, their mental health would spiral, and they would end up suicidal and admitted to the psych unit at our local hospital. This happened three times.

It got to the point where I knew what was coming next. In the moment, I didn't think much beyond "this is how marijuana affects my kid."

A few months ago, I connected with Johnny's Ambassadors, an organization that educates families about the dangers of THC for young people. That is where I learned it wasn't only my kid. Regular marijuana use in teens and young adults increases depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. It can also trigger something called cannabis-induced psychosis, a very real and frightening side effect.

Today's Marijuana Is Stronger

Today's marijuana is far stronger than it used to be. In the early 1990s, the average THC level was under 4%. Today, products commonly range from 15% to as high as 80% or more (NIDA; ElSohly et al., 2019). Whatever your experience was decades ago, it isn't a reliable guide to what your child is using now.

"Today's marijuana is not the marijuana we grew up with."

The Brain Isn't Finished Until About 25

The part of the brain responsible for judgment, impulse control, and emotional regulation is still under construction through the teen and young adult years. THC binds to the same system that guides that development. Regular use, especially at today's potency, can leave lasting marks.

Here is what regular THC use can affect in a young person:

  • Memory and learning. Your child may struggle to retain new information, and school performance often slips quietly and quickly.
  • Attention and concentration. It isn't just laziness. There is a real shift in how the brain filters what matters.
  • Emotional regulation. Anxiety and depression increase, and it is easy to mistake this for typical teen moodiness.
  • Decision-making. The still-forming prefrontal cortex isn't great at weighing consequences, something you've likely noticed already.
  • Motivation. The brain's reward system recalibrates around THC, making ordinary life feel flat and boring.

What the Newest Research Shows

Researchers have suspected a link between marijuana and serious mental illness for years. A 2008 review by Wayne Hall and Louisa Degenhardt found reasonable evidence from long-term studies that regular cannabis use predicts a higher risk of schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms. The newest research makes that picture much clearer.

Teens who use cannabis face double the risk of psychotic and bipolar disorders. In February 2026, Kaiser Permanente researchers published one of the largest studies yet in JAMA Health Forum. They followed 463,396 teens, ages 13 to 17, into young adulthood (EurekAlert). Compared with teens who didn't use cannabis, those who did had:

  • About twice the risk of developing a psychotic disorder
  • About twice the risk of developing bipolar disorder
  • A 34% higher risk of depression
  • A 24% higher risk of an anxiety disorder

These risks held even after accounting for earlier mental health conditions and other substance use. On average, cannabis use came 1.7 to 2.3 years before the diagnosis. The added risk of depression and anxiety faded by ages 21 to 25, but the elevated risk of psychotic and bipolar disorders did not (Kaiser Permanente).

Potency matters. A 2024 UK study in the journal Addiction found that young people who used high-potency cannabis at 16 to 18 were about twice as likely to have new psychotic experiences, such as hallucinations and delusions, by 19 to 24. Those teens had not reported these experiences before they started using (University of Bath).

Daily use multiplies the risk. A study across 11 European sites and Brazil found daily cannabis users were three times more likely to develop psychosis than people who never used. For daily users of high-potency cannabis, it was five times more likely (NBC News).

No single study proves cannabis alone causes mental illness. But the evidence keeps pointing the same direction, and it is strongest for the youngest, most frequent users of the most potent products.

The Risk Most Parents Don't Know About

Cannabis-induced psychosis isn't rare anymore. Teens who use cannabis frequently, especially the concentrated, high-potency products common today, face a significantly higher risk of paranoia, hallucinations, and breaks from reality.

For young people with a family history of mental illness, that risk is even higher. These episodes can be frightening and destabilizing. In some cases, they are the beginning of a longer psychiatric struggle.

Signs to watch for include:

  • Paranoia or intense suspicion of others
  • Hearing or seeing things that aren't there
  • Confused, disorganized, or strange speech
  • Sudden withdrawal from family and friends
  • Beliefs that don't match reality

If you notice these signs, contact your child's doctor or get emergency care right away. If your child is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

This is one of the most urgent reasons the conversation about today's marijuana is so different from the one our generation grew up with.

What Parents Can Do

I wish I had known all of this sooner. If you are worried about your child, here is where I would start.

  1. Update your own picture. Let go of the idea that marijuana is harmless. Today's products, and today's research, tell a different story.
  2. Talk with curiosity, not fear. Ask what your child is using, how often, and what it does for them. Many young people use it to cope with anxiety or depression, just as mine did.
  3. Notice changes. Slipping grades, lost motivation, rising anxiety, or pulling away from family are worth paying attention to.
  4. Take mental health signs seriously. Involve your child's doctor or a therapist early, and share any family history of mental illness.
  5. Get support for yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and you don't have to do this alone.

These resources have helped me and many other parents:

  • Johnny's Ambassadors: education on THC and youth mental health
  • Partnership to End Addiction: free tools and support for families facing substance use
  • Al-Anon and Nar-Anon: support groups for families affected by a loved one's substance use
  • NAMI: free support groups and education on mental illness
  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, any time

You can find more on my Resources page.

If your family is in a hard season with marijuana or your child's mental health, I have walked this road myself. I would be honored to walk alongside you. Schedule a complimentary discovery call, and let's talk.

Sources

  • Young-Wolff KC, Cortez CA, Alexeeff SE, et al. Adolescent Cannabis Use and Risk of Psychotic, Bipolar, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders. JAMA Health Forum, 2026.
  • Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. Study finds association between teen cannabis use and mental health disorders.
  • Hall W, Degenhardt L. Cannabis use and the risk of developing a psychotic disorder. World Psychiatry, 2008.
  • University of Bath. High-THC cannabis varieties twice as likely to cause psychotic episodes. Addiction, 2024.
  • NBC News. Daily use of high-potency marijuana linked to higher rates of psychosis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2019.
  • NIDA. Myth or Fact? "Marijuana Is Stronger These Days".
  • ElSohly MA, et al. New trends in cannabis potency in USA and Europe during the last decade (2008–2017). European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 2019.