CHILDREN as young as nine are suffering severe mental disorders after using cannabis, shock figures show.
More than 3,400 youngsters were hospitalised last year with mental and behavioural illnesses caused by the drug.
Getty – Contributor
Many are believed to be buying it over social media.
Admissions for cannabis-induced disorders among under-19s have soared by ten per cent in a year — and by 38 per cent since 2013/14, according to NHS figures obtained by the Daily Mail.
Paul North, a former drug treatment worker and now a director at think tank Volteface, said: “The ease by which young people can get drugs has increased massively.
“Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook — they are very easy.”
Cannabis can be linked to hallucinations, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and anxiety attacks.
Two children aged nine or under were among 3,414 admitted to hospital.
Admissions for girls under 19 leapt 43 per cent from 2014 to 2018, with a 34 per cent increase for boys.
Critics claim police turn a blind eye, with prosecutions for possession falling by a fifth in two years.
Corbis – Getty
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
