Heavy Pot Use May Damage Brain

Daily use of marijuana for an extended period appears to detrimentally change brain structures and cause memory impairments. Researchers found that teens who were heavy marijuana users — smoking it daily for about three years — had abnormal changes in their brain structures related to working memory and performed poorly on memory tasks.The Northwestern Medicine study found the brain abnormalities and memory problems persisted two years after the individuals had stopped smoking marijuana.
A poor working memory predicts poor academic performance and everyday functioning.The brain abnormalities and memory problems were observed during the individuals’ early 20s, which could indicate the long-term effects of chronic use.Memory-related structures in their brains appeared to shrink and collapse inward, possibly reflecting a decrease in neurons.

 

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