Public Health Topics
Cannabis

Beach Cities Health District identified substance use as a health priority for 2022-25. For more information about the health priorities, visit www.bchd.org/healthreport.

> Youth Access to Cannabis in the Beach Cities

Know the Facts

  • Cannabis refers to all products derived from the cannabis plant, while the word marijuana refers specifically to parts or products from the plant that contain substantial amounts (more than 0.3%) of the mind-altering chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2019)
  • Marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States (CDC, 2024)
  • An estimated 19% of Americans (52.5 million people) used marijuana at least once in 2021 (CDC, 2024) 
  • On average, THC concentration in cannabis products has increased 3-fold between 1995 and 2014, from 4% to 12% (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2019)
  • Use of high potency products is associated with greater risk of psychosis (Forti et al., 2019)
  • High potency marijuana users show five times higher risk for symptom onset of cannabis use disorder (Arterberry et al., 2019)
  • Cannabis-related emergency department visits in the United States have increased by more than 300% between 2006 (12.3 visits per 100,000 population) and 2018 (54.2 visits per 100,000) (Roehler et al., 2022)

Youth

  • In 2022, 30.7% of United States 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past year and 6.3% reported using it daily in the past 30 days (CDC, 2024)
  • In 2022, 6% of eight graders, 15% of 10th graders, and 21% of 12th graders reported vaping cannabis in the last year (CDC, 2024)

In the Beach Cities

  • 8.5% of Beach Cities 11th graders reported vaping marijuana or THC in the past 30 days in 2023. 
  • 26.5% of Beach Cities 9th graders reported it is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to obtain marijuana
  • Since 2018, the perception of risk/harm of occasional and daily use of marijuana has declined among Beach Cities 7th, 9th and 11th graders
    Source: California Healthy Kids Survey, 2019 – 2024

Health Impacts of Cannabis Use

Dangers of Underage Cannabis Use

  • Cannabis use interferes with brain development which can disrupt cognitive functions that are important for academic performance and activities such as driving and sports. These functions include:
    • Learning and memory
    • Pleasure and reward
    • Motion and motor control
    • Appetite
    • Sleep
    • Reproduction and fertility

Short-Term Adverse Effects

  • THC overactivates certain brain cell receptors, resulting in effects such as:
    • Altered senses
    • Changes in mood
    • Impaired body movement
    • Difficulty with thinking and problem-solving
    • Impaired memory and learning
  • Overdose symptoms including:
    • Difficulty breathing
    • Lethargy
    • Dizziness
    • Nausea
    • Loss of coordination

Long-Term Effects

  • Increased risk of mental health issues including:
    • Depression
    • Social anxiety
    • Psychosis
    • Schizophrenia
    • Suicidal ideation or behavior
  • Chronic bronchitis and injury to cell linings of the large airways. Symptoms include:
    • Chronic cough
    • Phlegm production
    • Acute bronchitis

Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020; CDC, 2021; SAMHSA, 2021

Cannabis and Youth Series

State of our Health: Cannabis and Youth

Cannabis and Youth: What Beach Cities Students Want Parents to Know

Cannabis and Youth: Influencing Factors in the Beach Cities 

Cannabis and Youth: What Health Providers Want Parents to Know

 

Resources