Poly alumnus Drew Pinsky '76 and Dr. Lisa Strohman discuss drugs and the teenage brain

In his presentation, Dr. Drew cited an article, "Cognitive Harm Associated with Regular Adolescent Marijuana Use," as well as his experience as medical director of the Department of Chemical Dependency Services at the Las Encinas Hospital drug rehabilitation clinic, presenting the case that marijuana use causes harm in adolescent brains. The effects of marijuana stay in the system much longer than alcohol and can negatively impact cognitive functions. Dr. Drew educated the audience on the effects of marijuana on the brain, namely that it interacts with pleasure centers in the brain and can create a strong sense of dependence even with moderate use (as few as a few times a month) that can be very difficult to break. He further elucidated that heavy users may find they need to take larger and larger doses to get the effects they want, and that in his experience, the drug use did not end with marijuana. Further concerning is that the younger the marijuana use starts, the greater the IQ decline.

As described on her website, Dr. Strohman is the founder and CEO of the Technology Wellness Center, one of the first organizations dedicated to addressing the global issue of technology addiction and overuse. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Strohman has spent more than a decade working with individual, family and adolescent clients struggling with issues including depression, anxiety and addiction. She is also a lawyer who worked for the FBI as a visiting scholar. She shared several instances where sexting and other impulsive behavior at a young age continued to haunt the individual, even years later. Strohman offered evidence that the online community is both supportive and destructive, projecting insidious blog posts advising the necessary steps one should take to have an eating disorder. Much to the astonishment of the audience, she cited studies showing that porn addiction was at an all time high, involving children as young as 6. Might be time to check the browsing history to see what your child has been viewing.