Pot Study, Brain Changes - A new medical study on the long-term effects of pot use has found that the brain suffers serious changes leading to the lowering of one's IQ, CNN has learned.
According to the research presented in the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences, a strong connection has been established between the pot study and brain changes.
Comparing data from marijuana users and nonusers, researchers found out that individuals who began smoking pot at an early age of 14 have "less brain volume or gray matter" in the orbitofrontal cortex, which is basically the part of the brain that is in charge of decision-making.
"The younger the individual started using, the more pronounced the changes," Dr. Francesca Filbey on the pot study on brain changes.
"Adolescence is when the brain starts maturing and making itself more adult-like, so any exposure to toxic substances can set the course for how your brain ends up," Dr. Filbey, who is the principal investigator and associate professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas, noted.
Apart from the damage on the orbitofrontal cortex, researchers also discovered through the pot study on brain changes that brain connectivity in chronic users is increased.
The wiring or the connections of the brain help humans establish learning abilities, specially making strong associations between objects and whatnot, so when this is damaged, individuals will not be able to develop technical skills.
Strangely enough, since brain connectivity among long-term users of pot is increased, researchers suggested that this could be the compensatory mechanism of their brains to make up for the loss of matter in the orbitofrontal cortex.
"Too much or too little of anything isn't good. There needs to be an equal balance," Dr. Filbey added.
Based on the pot study on the brain changes caused by chronic marijuana use, the IQ of people who regularly smoke hemp is five points lower than those who don't.
Nevertheless, the researchers of the study maintained that there is still no definite proof that pot alone is the one to be blamed for the lowering of the IQ, reports Forbes.
"While our study does not conclusively address whether any or all of the brain changes are a direct consequence of marijuana use, these effects do suggest that these changes are related to age of onset and duration of use," Dr. Filbey quipped.
However, Associate Director for Scientific Affairs at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Dr. Susan Weiss opined that the new pot study on brain changes actually provides a solid proof that marijuana use is indeed dangerous to the human brain.
"This is a complex and interesting study that adds to the growing body of evidence that heavy marijuana use, particularly at a young age, is linked to significant adverse brain changes," Dr. Weiss said.
"Further prospective studies are needed to clarify this, but these mounting scientific findings certainly challenge the widespread belief that marijuana is a harmless drug," Dr. Weiss added.
As of late, neuroscientists are trying to determine whether the pot study's claims of brain changes are a direct result or just a predisposing factor of frequent marijuana use, according to RT.
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