Marijuana: a so-called miracle of a leaf with a magic touch given to those who indulge or who have inhaled the green. Ever since humans have roamed the earth, marijuana has been right there with them, hazing up the sky with each breath. Since then, the essence of weed has improved with technology and class, from edibles that are able to be ingested to vape cartridges that can be smoked. The ability to chase a high was so easy that minors started to hop on the train. While weed has been around for centuries, no one really paid attention to side effects and problems; most everyone only focused on the guilty pleasure. From the 2020s to the present day, an increased number of juveniles have developed lung diseases that caused serious problems, including death. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Millions of people started wondering why this was happening, and from then on, the research race was on.

While most people look at the fact that smoking marijuana can leave you dead, no one speaks about how much it messes with your head. Marijuana, a “magical” leaf composed of two main chemicals that give you that good feeling, THC and CBD. CBD is known as the pain reliever, and the star of the show, THC is the chemical that gives you the euphoric “high.” THC latches onto cannabinoid receptors in your brain, which gives you intense feelings of joy and pleasure. The short end of the stick to this is that with repeated use, the feelings of relaxation and bliss turn into anxiety and psychosis, and, with constant use, can lead to mental health problems like schizophrenia. All of this research is performed on people over the age of 21; therefore, the full effects and consequences of partaking in the devil’s lettuce are still uncharted territory for kids and teens. 

New technology throughout the 2020s made taking marijuana easier through weed vapes or pens; it became five times easier to smoke discreetly. Minimal smell, portability, and potency in a little package: the convenience made these a key role in teen smoking. Of course, weed still has its upsides, as the industry of producing and selling weed has a whole, untouched market waiting to be tapped. Rafael Sanchez thinks that weed “provides businesses and a new market that can be explored and used for financial revenue.”

A huge problem still stands: more and more minors under 21 decide to “hit the pen” in hopes that a high will be the solution they have been seeking, just for them to realize they signed a contract for a “rigamarole” of complications. One in ten teens have smoked marijuana, and 30.7% of US high school 12th graders reported using cannabis in the past year, according to the CDC. Being in a weed-legal state makes the problem even worse as teens throughout Nevada and Pahrump get the chance to use and abuse marijuana. Bradin Weaver has lived in Pahrump since 4th grade, and he is currently a sophomore here at Pahrump Valley High School. While he, himself, has never put his lips on the “za,” he has witnessed others. “During my time here at PVHS, I’ve had a few encounters with individuals who like to indulge in the act of puffing on clouds. I feel like most of the time they are calmer; usually they are hyper, but when they smoke, they are way more chill.” He notices that these individuals sometimes have problems with controlling their feelings or mood when they do not smoke, which shows clear signs of addiction. “Sometimes they would act super moody one second, but the next second after he smoked, he would be absolutely ecstatic and the life of the party.” Weed seems to have a chokehold on millions of teens, slowly ruining them in mind and body.

Cannabis was first outlawed in the mid-1930s throughout the United States during the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, which made marijuana much more expensive to produce and export. This, of course, did not stop the moving of products throughout the United States. In the 1970s, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act was put in place to criminalize and further outlaw the “ganja.” These laws stayed in place for years upon years, while some states started working on making weed considered a medical miracle so sales could be passed through the legal loophole. The effort was successful, so throughout the mid-2010s, states like California, Washington, Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, and others were able to make a profit off the sale of weed, either for recreational or medical use. Presently, 24 states have legalized weed, and on December 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Attorney General to “take all necessary steps to expeditiously move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III” under the Controlled Substances Act. Could this mean the future for the weed industry or a national health crisis?

People of all ages, big or small, started contracting respiratory problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, and even lung cancer. These problems were linked to the smoking of marijuana, but another device was the real cancer machine. E-cigarettes, otherwise known as vapes, were flavored smoking devices that were promoted to kids in the hopes of making “smoking cool for kids” in order to make as much money as possible. In the harsh reality of the world, the marketing ploy worked; kids and teens started vaping like never before, claiming it “calmed their anxiety and made them happier,” but all it was really doing was frying their lungs to oblivion. This problem then started seeping into the school system, even here at PVHS. Student Uzziel Johnson states his thoughts on the issue: “It is just ridiculous. Like, my first month in high school, I saw a whole bunch of kids smoking and vaping in the bathrooms like crazy addicts without a care in the world. Do they know that they are destroying their youth?” A new lung disease started to arise in people who vaped, even in the short term. Popcorn lung, or bronchiolitis obliterans, is a serious, irreversible, and chronic lung disease caused by damage to the small airways. Whether it be a vape or a marijuana cigarette, all of these can give you irreparable lung damage that will stick with you for the rest of your life.

Many people think of marijuana as something harmless; however, all new information available today says otherwise and is supplemented by personal claims that demonstrate this drug to be much more harmful than what we previously believed, especially regarding its negative impact on teens. The introduction of alternative means of consumption and new technology has made it easier for teens and kids to conceal and abuse weed, therefore increasing their chances of developing long-term mental and physical health problems. As legalization of weed grows, and as public attitudes toward it continue becoming more lenient, increases in underage marijuana use are occurring, and many teens face developing a pattern of reliance upon and long-term damage from this drug. If there is not sufficient education, increased regulation, and community awareness regarding the use of marijuana, then it is likely that the adverse effects from the use of marijuana will outweigh the benefits that people thought they would receive. So remember, smoking weed will leave your mind stuck in a facade; staying clean will keep you as a pea in your pod.