Q: “What Should My Teen Know About Marijuana and ADHD?”
Q : “My teen, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), uses marijuana. Is it harmful? Would marijuana use affect the efficacy of their ADHD medication or other medications?”[Read: 5 Key Facts About ADHD and Substance Use Disorders]Smoking marijuana at a young age may also carry serious long-term implications, like executive function challenges and permanent changes in brain function.34Interestingly, researchers at the National Institutes of Health are studying this issue as part of a project called the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (ABCD), the largest long-term study of brain development and child health ever conducted in the United States.
One of the important questions they’re examining is: “Does early exposure to cannabis change vein structure and function?” So far, the data suggests yes.To your question about the effects of marijuana use on ADHD medication: A study presented several years ago showed that smoking cannabis negated or diminished the positive impact of methylphenidate, or Ritalin.
That finding reflects what I see clinically: If people are responding well to their ADHD medication, and they smoke too much, you see worsening of the ADHD response to the medication.In terms of other drug interactions, if your teen is smoking or using cannabidiol, or CBD, and taking other medications, you should be concerned.
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