Effect of Marijuana on School, Sports, and Activities

Effect of Marijuana on School, Sports, and Activities Addiction Drug Use Marijuana Print Does Marijuana Affect School, Sports, or Other Activities? Weed Effects Learning, Sports, and Judgment By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on June 17, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on August 16, 2019 Hero Images / Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Marijuana Cocaine Heroin Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery There are three main areas in which smoking marijuana can affect the daily lives of children and teens. They include learning, participating in sports and making judgments. Learning It may seem like a good idea to smoke a bowl and do your homework, but research shows that the opposite is true. Because marijuana has negative effects on attention or memory, smoking weed makes it difficult to learn new things or do complex tasks that require focus and concentration, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Heightened Focus Is Short-Lived Some young people believe that they do complex tasks, like driving a car, better when they are stoned because they think their ability to focus is increased. But, research shows that the perceived heightened focus is usually short-lived and marijuana users have trouble maintaining concentration throughout the task. Sports Smoking weed can harm your athletic performance because it affects your timing, movement, and coordination. If your abilities are impaired even slightly, it can make a big difference in the outcome during the heat of sports competition. Judgment NIDA-funded studies show that smoking marijuana can alter your ability to make sound judgments, like most other abused substances. If your judgment is impaired, you are more likely to become involved in risky behaviors like having unsafe sex or getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while impaired. Smoking weed can cause problems in these and other areas of your life because it can cause a loss of coordination, impaired thinking and problem-solving, distorted perceptions and problems with memory and learning, the NIDA reports.