PremiumOpinionOpinion byMonica Romano Washington Post·16 Jul, 2026 06:00 PM8 mins to readMonica Romano is a health and wellness writer and former nurse based in the Pacific Northwest. Her work has appeared in Woman’s World, AARP and the Seattle Times. She is working on an addiction memoir."The drug that makes you feel like yourself is actually keeping you from becoming yourself," writes Monica Romano. Photo / 123rfAs cannabis use becomes more widespread, we should be clear-eyed about potential long-term effects for those who start young.
When I was a teenager in Upstate New York, I passed joints the way other kids passed notes in class. Friday nights behind the bleachers with my friends felt like the
