Health Spirit Body

Menu
  • Home
  • Health
  • Weight Loss
  • Nutrition
Home
Health
Cannabis Inflicts Long-Term Damage On Teenage Brains, Study Finds
Health

Cannabis Inflicts Long-Term Damage On Teenage Brains, Study Finds

Don Patrick October 8, 2018

Teenagers who use cannabis are inflicting long-term damage on their brains, a new study has warned.

Researchers tracked nearly 4,000 teenagers over fours years and found clear evidence of marijuana use being linked to struggles with reasoning, memory, and inhibitions later in life.

Previous studies have shown that cannabis misuse has been linked to impairments in learning, attention, and decision-making, as well as lower academic performance.

But the team, led by the University of Montreal in Canada, says its findings are the first to show the causal and lasting effects of teen pot use on cognitive development.

Cannabis long-term damage teen brains

Researchers say marijuana use in teenagers was linked to struggles with reasoning, memory, and inhibitions later on life (file image)

For the study, the team followed more than 3,800 Canadian adolescents between seventh and 10th grade for a period of four years.

Once a year, the participants rated how much they used cannabis on a zero to five scale – zero meaning ‘never’ and five being ‘every day’.

For alcohol specifically, the teens were asked to provide the typical number of drinks they have in a day.

Researchers also looked at year-over-year changes in four cognitive areas: recall memory, working memory, perceptual reasoning, and inhibitions.

Tasks included being able to find a phone among a group of images, learning a pattern and being able to reproduce it 30 minutes later, and completing a sequence of puzzles with increasing difficulty.

The number of students who reported never using cannabis fell from 95.4 percent in the first year of the study to 71 percent in the last year.

Meanwhile, teens who reported using marijuana every day increased five-fold from 0.37 percent in year one to two percent in year four.

Using an advanced analytical model, the study found that teens who used cannabis more frequently performed the worst on the cognitive domain tests.

Researchers also found that cannabis use in any given year was linked to impaired inhibitory control and working memory one year later.

‘We were surprised that the effects of cannabis were more pronounced than the effects of alcohol,’ senior author and investigator Dr. Patricia Conrod, of the department of psychiatry at the University of Montreal, told Daily Mail Online.

‘And we were surprised of the lasting effects. Even if a young person reduced their use, you could still see effects from the previous year. It was more than we expected.’

There is also a concern of teens vaping cannabis after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report revealed last month e-cigarettes were being used to conceal marijuana.

The report found one-third of high school students and a quarter of middle school students that had used e-cigarettes for cannabis in 2016.

A 2017 study also from the University of Montreal found that teens who smoked pot as early as 14 performed worse by age 20 on cognitive tests and dropped out of school at a much higher rate than non-smokers.

Another study from Concordia University, also located in Montreal, found that adolescents who smoked pot at age 15 or younger suffered from cognitive development and even respiratory diseases.

Dr. Conrod said that there are many questions that she and her team would like to answer in future research.

‘In the context of recreational cannabis use in adults, when the brain not undergoing maturation, we want to see if they are just as vulnerable to the effects of cannabis,’ she said.

‘We also want to see if there’s a difference in sensitivity between males and females and what brain mechanisms are underlying this effect.’

If you know someone who might like this, please click “Share”!

Share
Tweet
Email
Prev Article
Next Article

Related Articles

1000 Calories Meal Plan
Are you looking to lose weight? If so, you may …

A Beginner’s Guide to 1000 Calories Meal Plans

bad dreams daily frustrations
Bad dreams can be scary and hard to understand, and …

Scientists Reveal How Bad Dreams Reflect Our Daily Frustrations

tapeworm 2
WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some readers may …

Sushi Lover Ends Up In ER After 5-Foot Tapeworm ‘Wiggles’ From His Rectum

exercises to transform body
There’s no way around it, regular exercise and a clean …

Transform Your Body In 4 Weeks With These 5 Exercises

Other Stories

  • 7 stretches in 7 minutes
    7 Stretches In 7 Minutes For Lower …
  • mood disorders
    Scientists Say Mood Disorders Often Related To …
  • how to start a conversation with a girl
    Simple Ways on How to Start a …
  • World Health Organization vegetable oils backlash
    Cardiologist Slams Diet Advice From The World …
  • Chia Seeds Side Effects That You Should Heed
    Chia Seeds Side Effects That You Should …

Health Spirit Body

Health Information For A Better You
Copyright © 2023 Health Spirit Body
About | DMCA | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT