Nicotine and Cannabis Use in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Non- ADHD Adolescents: Evidence for Gateway Drug Effects

The purpose of this review is to discuss the characteristics of nicotine and cannabis that make them potential gateway drugs to young people. There is substantial evidence that indicates nicotine and cannabis influence experimentation with “harder” drugs that adolescents have a tendency to abuse. I have reviewed the literature as it pertains to ADHD adolescents because it is well documented that ADHD kids have problems with judgment, impulsivity and may seek recreational drugs as an attempt to improve their attention or help them cope with the emotional distress associated with ADHD life. There are many studies that show non-ADHD adolescents, whose brains develop slowly and in specific ways, are vulnerable to the effects of drugs such as nicotine and cannabis. In this review, discussion of drug effects ranges from psychological, behavioral, physiological, developmental and neurological at the systems and molecular level.