https://apple.news/Aqx3oSVMxRlOvAA8vKe_NnQ
According to new studies, low levels of marijuana use may change the teen brain. The study looked at multiple 14 yr old boys and girls from all over the world who claim to have only smoked marijuana once or twice in there lifetime. The MRI scans of there brains showed an increase volume in many different parts of the brain. These places of the brain included emotional related processing, learning, and forming memories. The lead author of the study, Hugh Garavan, said the people involoved in this study are just as surprised as readers to hear such a small amount of marijuana use can cause such changes in the brain and future behavior. The study didn’t include anything about what the increased volume in the brain even is. However, Researchers found that more enhanced grey matter in the brain contradicts and goes against the grain of normal adolescent development. Once possibility of the marijuana affects in that it disrupts the adolescent pruning process which disrupts the maturation of adolescents. Another said possibility is that the cannabis has led to growth in the neurons in the brain and the connection they makes and what goes between them. Students who are marijuana users have shown to make lower scores on test that include memorization, leaning new info, higher-level problem solving, and info processing. Now this topic is still in need of much further study because there are still many things that are uncertain.
This some what reminded me of the tobacco boom in Virginia in the early 1600’s that John Rolfe originally came to Jamestown for.
It's helpful to know that studies are taking place on this subject. I think a lot of the negativity attached to marijuana comes from the fact that we really don't know much about its side effects, because it hasn't been widely used for very long. Even if negative studies come out, they can help provide for how bad it really is compared to other substances used for similar purposes.
ReplyDeleteI agree, these days, teenagers just dive head-first into new experiments such as drugs, and alcohol, but this article proves that there could be serious long term consequences for doing so.
ReplyDeleteI've definitely seen studies that have said the opposite, but considering how complex the human brain is, it makes sense that there's a lot more to know about marijuana's effects.
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