MentalHealthDaily

Teen Substance-Use Prediction in ABCD: Stable Signals, Small Effects

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for teen substance-use prediction in the ABCD Study.

A 2026 ABCD Study preprint involving 11,868 youth found stable time-ordered predictors of teen substance-use initiation, but the adjusted effects were small: most estimates ranged from −0.01 to 0.02 initiation-probability points per 1-SD predictor increase. Research Highlights Large ABCD panel: Wei et al. analyzed 11,868 youth with repeated observations and interval-level initiation outcomes for alcohol, …

Teenage Cannabis Use vs. Cognition and Brain Development: THC vs. CBD (Toxicology Data)

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of an adolescent brain with overlay of cannabis molecules and cognitive metrics, conveying developmental neurocognitive impact.

Studies of adolescent cannabis effects on cognition have been limited by self-report and confounding. A 2026 longitudinal study by Wade and colleagues uses the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) cohort with both self-report and biological toxicology, separating THC and CBD effects on developing cognition.1 Research Highlights Adolescence is a critical window for cognitive maturation, with …