Dr. Steven Laviolette and Dr. Justine Renard from the University of Western Ontario, have been investigating the effects of marijuana on teenage brains.
WOODSTOCK - The Oxford Drug Awareness Committee hosted two researchers looking into the effects of pot on the teenage brain.
The researchers, Dr. Steven Laviolette and Dr. Justine Renard from the University of Western Ontario, have been investigating the effects of marijuana on adolescent brains. Dr. Laviolette says they made some concerning discoveries.
"We we've been looking at how exposure to a certain chemical in marijuana called THC, how does it lead to an increased risk for developing Schizophrenia when you reach early adulthood. So we use animal models to examine how the brain changes when it's exposed to chemicals like THC which is found in marijuana. And what we found is that there are remarkable changes in the brain that are very similar to what we see in a patient that has Schizophrenia."
Dr. Laviolette says there is still a lot of work to be done as we move toward legalization.
Jacqueline Deroo with Oxford County Public Health says they wanted to give health care professionals a chance to delve deeper into the issue with this session.
"I kept coming across health care providers and health care service providers who were interested in the grey area of marijuana. So being that it's not legal yet, that our teenagers are using it, and that they wanted more clarifications on how it affects the teenage brain."

Multiple Charges Laid after Thefts in Tillsonburg
CASS Offering Unique Program to Students
PJHL Preview - Jan. 30th to Feb. 1st
Woodstock Bowler Heading to Special Olympics
Dog Bite Investigation in Tillsonburg
Interview with the Warden - January 29th, 2026
Trevor Birtch Trial Daily Recap - Case 2
11 People Charged in Massive Drug Bust
Another Cold Warning for Oxford County
Chilly Charlie Returns on Monday
Khanna Shines a Light on Oxford County Superstars
WFD Responds to Structure Fire
WPS Appoints New Deputy Chief
TMMC Woodstock Begins Production of Sixth Gen RAV4
Oxford OPP Briefs - January 28th, 2026
More Weather Alerts for Oxford County
Thrive Oxford Honoured at ROMA
Tip Tuesday with the Oxford OPP - January 2026
Members Needed for Tillsonburg Housing Advisory Committee
UPDATE: Ottawa Approves Plan to Move Marineland's Whales and Dolphins
Comments
Add a comment