Monica Romano, a health and wellness writer and former nurse, has shared a personal account highlighting the complexities and hidden risks associated with long-term cannabis use, particularly when initiated during adolescence. Her reflections underscore evolving scientific understanding amid growing legalization and normalization of cannabis across the United States.

Romano’s experience began in the early 1980s in Upstate New York, where she turned to marijuana as a form of relief from chronic anxiety and family difficulties. At the time, anxiety was not widely recognized or effectively treated, leading many young people like Romano to self-medicate with cannabis. She recalls that Friday nights behind the school bleachers became a rare refuge from home stress, and while recreational marijuana remains legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia today, scientific research now reveals significant developmental concerns linked to adolescent use.

Recent studies have associated early and frequent cannabis consumption with adverse effects on brain development. Psychiatrist Harold C. Urschel III, co-founder of Enterhealth in Dallas, explained that high-potency THC used by teenagers can cause abnormal brain growth and contribute to psychiatric conditions such as psychosis, manic depression, and sometimes permanent schizophrenia. Additionally, long-term use has been tied to increased risks of heart attack, stroke, and lung cancer.

A 2026 study from the University of California at San Diego examined more than 11,000 young individuals and found that adolescents who regularly use cannabis experience slower improvement in memory, attention, and cognitive functions compared with nonusers. Romano reflects on her own decades of daily use and the difficulty distinguishing normal cognitive aging from cannabis-related impairment, a question complicated by prior legal restrictions limiting research.

Despite ending use during pregnancy, Romano struggled with prolonged cannabis dependence, ultimately acknowledging the addiction after a concerning incident involving her son. Experts note that withdrawal symptoms from marijuana can persist for weeks or months, complicating cessation efforts. Urschel emphasized that although marijuana is often perceived as less addictive, its long residence in the body contributes to a challenging withdrawal process.

Romano describes additional physical impacts, including frequent bronchitis and respiratory issues during her late twenties, along with mental health challenges such as paranoia and ongoing anxiety. Physician assistant Riley Guinan of Zellig Psychiatry cautions that heavy adolescent cannabis use can have lasting effects beyond direct neurochemical injury by influencing development, coping mechanisms, and identity formation.

Moreover, current cannabis products differ significantly from those available in the 1970s, with THC concentrations rising from about 1–2 percent in the past to 20–50 percent today. Urschel warns that higher potency may amplify medical risks, though Guinan stresses that age of initiation remains a critical factor regardless of potency levels.

Romano’s journey also includes episodes of severe depression even after quitting, consistent with research linking long-term cannabis use to major depressive disorder due to persistent disruption in dopamine regulation. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of individuals with severe psychiatric symptoms related to prior addiction may experience lasting effects.

Now 59 years old, Romano advocates for transparency about cannabis’s potential risks, especially for young users. She suggests that messages focusing on how cannabis may inhibit personal growth and self-realization could be more effective than fear-based warnings. Romano’s account adds a nuanced perspective to public discourse, emphasizing the need for balanced awareness as cannabis policies and social attitudes continue to shift nationwide.