Study – Long Term Marijuana use Toxic to the Brain
Recent studies show that marijuana may cause psychosis, increase the risk of heart disease, and provoke heart attack. Researchers now tell us that marijuana may be toxic to the brain, especially the left hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for short-term memory, spatial navigation, and the left hippocampus plays a large role in language dominance. The study is published online in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, led by Murat Yücel, PhD
Changes in the brain were seen by way of MRI in fifteen heavy marijuana users. All were found to have reductions in hippocampal volume. The participants were male, smoked for more than 10 years without using other drugs, and reportedly smoked more than five joints daily. The study is reportedly the first to measure the long-term effects of marijuana on humans. It’s not completely understood whether the change in brain volume comes from loss of neurons, which make up half of the central nervous system, or glial cells, which comprise the other half. Other possibilities include smaller cells, or alternatively, decreased synapse density - tiny cells that transmit information across neurons. Additionally, “the left hippocampus may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of cannabis exposure and may be more closely related to the emergence of psychotic symptoms”.
Another finding included a 7.1% reduction of the smoker’s amygdala, the portion of the brain that lies close to the hippocampus and affects emotions, arousal, hormonal secretions and fear response.
Further research is planned to measure “the degree and mechanisms of long term cannabis-related harm and the time course of neuronal recovery after abstinence.”
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Posted by Kathleen, RN
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Bogus Junk Science funded by the NIDA. Look up Dr. Guzman Cannabis THC Shrinks and destroys brain cancers (gliomas). While not damaging the surrounding brain tissue. If pure THC won’t damage brain tissue, the Harvard University’s well construct peer reviewed research must be right. That cannabis does not destroy or damage brain tissue. So much for this old, disproven junk science from our governemnt. It’s amazing how the NIDA always produces instant response research to counter positive cannabis research findings. Harvard proved cause and effect. This disproven propaganda hit piece does not. Also, do you know anyone who smoked 5 joints per day for 5 years? Common NIDA, you guy’s are always so desperate. You can’t accept the fact that you’ve already lost the war against cannabis. Your mythical test subjects in no way represent the common cannabis user. Also, who can afford this much cannabis for so long? It’s a sad sign of the times that even after Government tripe is disproven. The press will pick up and run old hype, with no counter-points. Just to attract readers.
Even if it were true (probably isn’t), I don’t know what to believe anymore. First I was told it made you into a crazy, drug addict, killing people. I tried it and nothing happened. Also, why aren’t there any link to sources listed? Seems to me like more propaganda from an amateur publisher.
5 joints a day????? that’s like doing an alcoholism study and saying:
“In test subjects that consumed 3 gallons of whiskey daily”
I’m just curious, who smokes 5 or more joints a day, everyday for 10 years? I don’t know anybody that normally smokes 3 joints a day and I’ve known smokers my whole life. I can see someone sharing 5 joints a day but not smoking that much to themselves unless in a medicinal marijuana program for debilitating diseases. Even then 5 joints is pushing it.
5 joints a day, every day, for 10 years. Who does that? I think it effects everyone differently. Each individual should handle it accordingly.
I smoked pot during my teen years. I decided as a personal choice to quit. And yes it wasn’t uncommon for me to smoke 5,6,7 joints a day.
I now have partial complex seizures. I don’t doubt that it was caused by messing with my brains development during my “carefree” teen years.
I am also now in the dilemma of what to do with my mother, who for about 25+ years smoked pot, and now has trouble forming simple sentences. She’ll turn 50 later this month.
I agree that we’ve lost the war on pot, it should be taxed and regulated just like alcohol and tobacco. In study after study, high-schoolers report that it is easier for them to get pot then alcohol. Maybe by regulating it, it would be harder to come by.
Personally, I wish I had said no thanks.
i am an 18 year old kid who has been smoking pot since i have been 12. i have never moved on to harder drugs. I dont believe marijuana is a gateway drug. I smoke marijuana non stop since i wake up till i pass out. Its not that bad i dont do anything wrong or disturb anyone or anything. MArijuana is the best thing in the world. Dont fuck it up for me.
erics-
That is quite the pitiful arguement you have there. State that you constantly smoke weed and it is the best thing in the world and sound like a completly dependent drug addict all the while trying to promote weed’s lack of effect on you. Bad call.
Yes, there are no sources cited here. So, this is an op-ed piece at best, emphasis on the OPinion here as there is no insight offered and thus nobody is educated after reading it.
Rod - Sorry to hear about your troubles. Scientifically speaking, it is unwise to say that cannabis was the cause of your condition. It would be wiser to say that “you don’t know”, then begin investigation in enrnest, not to prove that it was or wasn’t cannabis, but just to figure it out. You should know that since cannabis is not regulated, your source may have been tainted with high volumes of trace elements/metals. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be the fault of the plant, but of the producer who was careless in manufacturing. But what would they care, it’s already illegal. Still, imho, cannabis is not the culprit for either you or your mother’s condition. Far too many other possibilities than that.
And that’s the problem. People want a scapegoat too much and tune out any evidence that speaks to the contrary of what they already balieve. So many people will read this and similar articles and say, “Oh yeah, that’s right!” and fewer will ask, “Hmm, how do you know this is true? Where’s your proof?”
Final thoughts…
Smoking is bad, use a vaporizor.
Know your grower or better, grow it yourself.
Grow seeds too and spread the love all around your neighborhood!
pfarthing. . . best final thoughts i’ve heard… I personally am not a user, I am however in a relationship with someone who does smoke at least 3 times a week maybe more who knows, so i have mixed feelings about whether i should continue the relationship or not. I won’t even bother trying to have him stop because we all know thats never works. . .
I also suffer from seizures. To be exact I was diagnosed 2 years ago with adult onset seizure disorder. I have simple partial, complex partial and tonic-clonic (grandmal) seizures. I figured out after my first tonic-clonic seizure, BY SPEAKING WITH MY NEUROLOGIST, that I have been having simple partial seizures my whole life without knowing what they were. Now: At age 21 I tried pot for the first time and smoked on and off until about 3 weeks before I had my first tonic-clonic seizure at age 31. After speaking with my neurologist I discovered that the likely reason for my first (and therefore subsequent) tonic-clonic seizure was likely due to the fact that I had STOPPED smoking marijuana weeks prior because of a job opportunity. You see, marijuana is an anti-convulsant and actually helps stop seizures from happening. I also found that when I have marijuana in my system, the partial seizures are much less frequent. To top it all off, marijuana counters the HORRIBLE and varied side effects caused by the prescription medication I must now take. The natural remedy is illegal so take this instead and just deal with the side effects, even though the natural remedy also counters the side effects. Makes perfect sense right. Prohibitionists lie plain and simple.
amazing article to marijuana.I bookmark your website. how to grow weed is easy thanks to you!!! sorry for my english
I am normally a person that reads blogs and articles and does not comment, but some of the commenters left me no choice as they where so far off with their experience that I could not stay silent.
I have been a user for about 25 years, started at the age of 14. Back then I had mixed feelings and used it very rarely at the age of 25 I became a regular user I am now 39. For the last 15 years or so I have used it every day, in moderation lol.
To make a long story short, it has not had a. Egative impact on my life, I decided to take a break of my on accord. I have not lost my mind not am I broke, my net worth has grown intensely, I am not here to advocate but just to state my own experience, I am also very athletic and a marathoner.. English is my second language.
I am not saying it is good for you.. Lik to be clear about that, but it has not and I repeat .. It has not ruined my life. Nor the life of other users that I have known.