Quick Facts
The UK’s top psychiatrist, Dr Lade Smith, has issued a senior warning that adolescent brains remain vulnerable well into the mid-twenties, and that using high-strength cannabis significantly worsens that risk.
She stated that consuming cannabis at the age of 14 or 15 “is literally growing your brain in a cannabis soup”, linking usage to an eleven-fold increase in the likelihood of experiencing a psychotic episode later in life.
According to Smith, the risk is highest when young people use cannabis with THC potency above 10 %, and regular weekly usage dramatically amplifies long-term harm.
She also expressed concern over parents underestimating the danger, saying public-health messaging has fallen short and that the myth of cannabis as “safe for young brains” must be challenged.
Smith emphasised that while not every young cannabis user develops psychosis, the developing brain is exposed to measurable structural and functional changes, especially in regions responsible for memory, mood and cognition.
Momentum Tracker
🔺 Expert warnings like Smith’s are escalating, signalling a pivot in dialogue from cannabis normalization toward urgent concern for youth mental-health and neurodevelopment.
🔻 Despite the warning, cannabis potency, availability and youth use persist, meaning the gap between evidence and regulation remains wide.