Marijuana’s effects on developing brains are more damaging than previously thought, a recent study revealed.

The findings, printed in Neurobiology of Disease, suggest “that daily consumption of cannabis in teens can cause depression and anxiety, and have an irreversible long-term effect on the brain.”

The research found that marijuana alters and impairs chemical and physiological processes in teenage brains.

According to the published study, “Adolescence represents a highly sensitive developmental window within which the disruptive effects of cannabinoid exposure can lead to emotional abnormalities.”

“Our study is one of the first to focus on the neurobiological mechanisms at the root of this influence of cannabis on depression and anxiety in adolescents,” researcher Dr. Gabriella Gobbi of the McGill University Health Centre said.

“Teenagers who are exposed to cannabis have decreased serotonin transmission, which leads to mood disorders, as well as increased norepinephrine transmission, which leads to greater long-term susceptibility to stress,” she explained in a statement.

Marijuana use impairs coordination, thought processes, memory and learning ability.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is the most widely abused illicit drug in the United States, with approximately 42 percent of high school seniors admitting to having tried it.