[EFFECTS OF CANNABIS USE ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: REVIEW OF RECENT...

In recent years, various countries, including Israel, have begun to promote the policy of decriminalization, medicalization and even legalization of cannabis. This policy, aimed at adults, also affects the attitudes and behavior patterns of adolescents, who have a perception of relatively low risk of damage to their physical and mental health as a potential result of cannabis use. Despite the difficulty in establishing a direct causal link between cannabis use and physiological, cognitive, and mental health effects, in recent years many studies have been published examining the implications of cannabis use for the adolescent population, which is considered to be one of the most vulnerable populations to health damage caused by cannabis use. The purpose of the present review is to present studies from the last decade on the implications and effects of cannabis use patterns on the physical, cognitive, and mental health of adolescents. The review is intended to assist Israeli policymakers in paying special attention to harm reduction and prevention, and in the promotion of the health of teens and their parents, especially during the period of reexamination of cannabis policy in Israel.