New Study Finds Daily Marijuana Use Is Not Associated With Brain Abnormalities
 

Several recent studies have suggested that smoking marijuana is associated with physical changes in certain regions of the brain, both in terms of shape and volume, although they could not establish cause and effect. Now, new research which set out to replicate these investigations using a more robust experimental design has produced conflicting results. According to the study, daily marijuana use, in both adults and adolescents, is not associated with any significant differences in either the shape or volume of the regions investigated. The work has been published in The Journal of Neuroscience.

Given the current changing trends towards the acceptance and use of marijuana, it?s important to thoroughly investigate the possible risks associated with the drug so that decisions regarding legalization and classification can be based on scientific evidence. Numerous studies have therefore looked into the potential effects of marijuana use, and several have concluded that smoking marijuana is associated with changes in the brain. One investigation even concluded that frequent marijuana use was associated with cognitive decline and a decrease in IQ. However, results have not been consistent throughout different studies.

Some investigations, for example, found that marijuana use is linked to a decrease in the size of certain areas of the brain, whereas others concluded that marijuana is associated with an increase in volume of the same areas. While the studies were interesting, it?s important to note that, because of the way they were designed, it was not possible to establish cause and effect. Furthermore, the studies may not have adequately controlled for alcohol use, which is a particularly important issue given that it is well established that alcohol abuse can have a detrimental effect on brain structure as well as volume and mental ability.

In order to address this issue and hopefully provide some clarity, scientists designed a well-controlled study that set out to investigate the potential effects of daily marijuana use on both adults and adolescents. In particular, they wanted to compare the brains of users and non-users by examining the morphology of numerous different regions which were the focus of previous studies: the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus and cerebellum.

For the study, 29 adult daily marijuana users were enrolled, alongside 29 adult non-users. A group of 50 adolescent daily users were also recruited, once again alongside a sample of 50 adolescent non-users. Importantly, the researchers closely matched the groups on many possible confounding variables, such as depression, age, tobacco use and gender. Furthermore, they were matched on alcohol use to a much greater extent than previous studies.

After carrying out MRI scans on the participants and conducting statistical analyses, the researchers failed to find any differences in the volumes of any of the brain regions investigated. According to the researchers, this could suggest that previously observed differences might be due to inadequate control for alcohol use, given the fact that even modest alcohol abuse has been linked to changes in the brain.

Although this study was more robust in terms of matching groups, it is necessary to note that it still has some important limitations. For example, it still cannot establish causality, and did not take into account socioeconomic factors or the history of marijuana use, such as when they began using the drug.


New Study Finds Daily Marijuana Use Is Not Associated With Brain Abnormalities | IFLScience

I'm more inclined to believe ingesting alcohol, which is also used for cleaning and as a fuel source is more harmful to your brain than smoking a plant which God put on the earth for us to enjoy.

Nice info here. I think marijuana usage must be legalized esp when used for medical purposes.

It should be legalized for the fact that it makes any TV show or movie 10 times better.

exactly... just like opium poppies :thumbsup

And Uranium or arsenic. All good stuff is natural. :thumbsup

exactly, poisonous mushrooms, deadly nightshade.... EVERY plant that grows is natural and very GOOD for you...and ricin is the best, totally ALL natural made from the castor bean... :thumbsup

Who gives a fuck? Smoke it or don't. I quit smoking cigarettes when I was 18 but I've never once tried to convince others not to smoke.

Yes, cannabis has side effects. Everything has side effects though. Including living indoors.


I'm just saying, in general there doesn't need to be a debate about weed. I think grapesoda is trolling here. He probably has a magic mushroom / opium poppy grow setup in his basement.

I don't see any effects, or memory loss, from daily use.

I am a daily user, and I don't see any effects from it, or any memory loss.

shut up dom

I can't remember shit, the weed is my only excuse.

I don't seem to be affected by it, as a daily user. No memory loss here.

No worries. I figured I'd chime in here, but I don't see any effects, from daily use. Especially not memory loss.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

too soon though

It's never too soon to give your honest opinion. I don't see any effects, from daily use. No memory loss, either.

What were we talking about? The memory loss isn't permanent. When you stop smoking it comes back after a few months.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox6jSkk0W1A

actually just a balanced post.... last time I posted about weed it, was weed does affect your brain... just being unbiased.... btw I do NOT use weed, don't like the high...however I'm in so much pain on a daily basis and I turned down narcotics I am thinking about it.... :2 cents:

Light up everybody!!

<//////////////////>~~~

See? No memory loss. Posting the same thing over and over is an artistic choice bitches.

:D

Marijuana is God's magical nectar for peace loving people :thumbsup
For sure for sure, broski. :winkwink:
After all - it's natural!

"art" :1orglaugh

Personally I don't feel the memory loss thing. I think it just seems that way cause I get creative and excited about stuff and start thinking about a lot of different things, so there's more to remember but the same amount of brain power to remember it all with.

So some stuff gets pushed aside. That's not memory loss, it's just having more to think about.

:thumbsup:thumbsup my excuse too.

If you get the oil and take it as a tincture then you don't actually get high you know?

"Sorry, that got de-prioritized in my brain" -- my new excuse. :thumbsup

You do not know what your memory would be otherwise. So arguments like that are invalid.

Meaning, he has smoked pot all of his life? Seems legit. :2 cents:

I still cannot believe that marijuana is illegal while alcohol and cigarettes aren't..

No one dies from an OD on cannabis. Many die from alcohol every day....

That being sad, marijuana is definitely not right for everyone. And yes it has some side effects. Oh and, there are many kinds of marijuana and not all of them were created equally. Sativa = up lifting high and Indica = heavy on the body and good for sleep,

That being said, it will be 4:20 soon my time. Have a nice afternoon :rasta

In a way I do. Possibly more than most, because I judiciously avoided pot although I have always enjoyed it for most of my life. I smoked maybe a dozen times in 42 years until about a year ago when I started taking a more proactive approach to stress and decided to stop using alcohol to unwind. So I started daily vaping in the evening after work.

This year so far it's not really a daily thing but it's frequent and I hardly ever drink alcohol, mostly socially. I don't feel my memory has changed much though my priorities have, and my stress is very manageable. Also my personal relationships are much improved since the aggressivity that tends to accompany drinking is not a factor anymore.

So now we're comparing pot to ricin.

I know a couple people who smoke every day, and they seem to be sharp as a razor mentally. Whether or not they've done anything with their lives is another story.

I was going to point out what others have; God put lots of things on earth that are not good for humans.

There are many options as far as medical marijuana is concerned; especially for pain.

The fact that you said you do not like the high makes me think your experience was with high THC MMJ as opposed to high CBD MMJ.

With high CBD weed the "high" can be close to non-existent but the pain relief is great. Also, you don't need to smoke it. We make balms with it that beat any OTC pain meds I have ever tried and it is instantaneous.

What is the pain caused from? Old injury, illness?

The more I hear about a supreme being, the less I think they're very intelligent.

well, my brain freaked out with dollar sign overload when I read that the recreational pot industry will be a $40b/year industry within 5 years.

It's not Marijuana that kills brain cells, it's people.

alcohol is just as natural... made by yeast... cavemen gazillion years ago were eating rotten fruit and getting slight buzz off it... and that probably was waaaay before marijuana or even fire was discovered...

you are right though, marijuana is probably healthier, but just like everything else in life should probably be consumed in moderation... :thumbsup

did not know... rub it on the joints etc...?

Any brain changes from weed can't be as bad as from alcohol that actually causes people to fall down and black out.

who is 'we' joint surgeries and artistries and torn muscles.... and the general aching fucking head from day after day of content models... all jokes aside I can hardly use my right arm due to torn biceps and barely sleep at all any more due to knees and shoulders...

Exactly. People can say that alcohol is natural, which I guess it is when you break down it's individual elements, but it has to be far worse for your body.

It will burn your eyeballs if thrown in your face. If you pour it over something and set it on fire, that thing will be destroyed. It's used to sterilize things that are very dirty. That thought isn't lost on me as I have my glass of Jack Daniels in the evening sometimes.

It also turns people I thought were nice into monsters. Actually, the alcohol is allowing them to be the asshole they've always wanted to be. Have you ever met a belligerent stoner?

Why is that? Because not everything on the planet directly benefits humans?

"we" would be goodgirl and I and the balms sound perfect for what ails you.

That being said, don't fall for these bullshit claims that you can buy high cbd ointments online. I can guarantee they will be crap. Find your own tested product and make it yourself. Very easy and it works like a charm.