Studies reveal that marijuana abuse affects a person’s intellect and learning abilities. Smoking marijuana every day for an extended period may also lead to a loss of cognitive skills. With the recent legalization in the US, the significance of marijuana and education is crucial, now more than ever before.
Effects of Marijuana Use on Learning
Marijuana has adverse effects on the brain. Smoking every day affects the ability to learn and recall what you learned. This is why chronic users find it difficult to focus, concentrate, or learn new things.
Many people believe that smoking pot enables them to do complex tasks. Yet, research shows that the heightened focus is short-lived. This means that users often have trouble when it comes to focusing through an entire task.
Also, marijuana users develop behaviors that make them unable to function in society.
Marijuana Use Linked to Decreased Educational Attainment
Marijuana affects attention and memory. Depending on the history of the user, the short-term side effects can last for days or even weeks. So, heavy smokers may be functioning at a reduced intelligence level almost daily. Students who use marijuana every day have poor educational outcomes.
For example, people who use marijuana have fewer chances of graduating from college. Adolescents are also less likely to graduate from high school. Furthermore, teenagers who use marijuana are at a higher risk of developing dependence. They may even start using other illicit drugs or attempt suicide later on in life.
In most cases, chronic smokers fail to meet their education and career goals. This opens the door to a myriad of other problems, including:
- Unemployment
- Low income
- Greater welfare dependence
- Criminal behavior
- Lower life satisfaction
Legalized Marijuana and Education
When medicinal marijuana became legal, education about cannabis became paramount in society. The training should take place at home, in educational institutions, and rehabilitation centers. People now understand that they cannot compare marijuana to other controlled substances. This includes cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.
In the 1980s, uniformed police officers enlisted by the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (DARE) taught students about the risks of drug use. The School to Prison Pipeline still incorporates the program in public schools.
The program creators did not have as much accurate data and resources, as is the case today. Educators had not yet learned the importance of using preventing measures, for example, keeping nonviolent offenders in school.
The recreational use of marijuana is now legal. As such, educational systems must rethink intervention approaches and prevention techniques and the implications of marijuana and education. Also, it’s up to society to get relevant information about marijuana use. This way, they can distinguish casual use and a full-on addiction.
Rehab centers are playing a pivotal role by providing a variety of programs, such as:
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavioral therapy
In conclusion, approach the topic of marijuana and education with the best practices in prevention and intervention. Contact us at 1.844.768.0169 if you need professional help to overcome marijuana addiction. Take the first step; we’ll help with the rest.