With all the talk about daily marijuana usage, it is no wonder we are all confused. Is it detrimental to our mental health, or is it no different, even possibly healthier, than cigarettes?

There are so many questions still left unanswered, but new tests give reason to believe that marijuana doesn’t really affect the brain like we thought it did. At least there is some room for doubt.

Previous tests suggested that certain areas of the brain showed a marked difference in size and volume due to regular marijuana use. It wasn’t clear as to what caused these effects, and this in itself left us scratching our heads.

Why test?

Since legalization is happening, it is important to understand the safety of this substance. Marijuana is used for many things at present and could be just as harmless as cigarettes or soda – well, you get the picture. Even alcohol, it seems, has a greater impact on the brain, according to the various tests and trials. Alcohol greatly changes the brain while intoxicated, but that’s another topic altogether.

Marijuana, on the other hand, is a hot topic. Its popularity calls for more testing and extensive understanding for more than just social use. This herb has become marketable and demands good reviews if possible.

Is marijuana really responsible for cognitive decline? Is our IQ really affected by our enjoyment of this herb of choice?

Further testing

A more robust test was conducted to help understand and prove these results. The test, however, produced conflicting results which shed new light on marijuana usage. According to these new results, daily marijuana use does not affect the size and volume of the brain. So, let’s look a bit closer and understand the accuracy of these tests and why we need them.

Hopeful Results

A team of six researchers led by Barbara Weiland of the University of Colorado conducted a controlled study that gauged the effects of daily marijuana use on adults and adolescents. The focus of the study was on areas of the brain, such as the amygdala, hippocampus and the cerebellum, where brain changes were monitored during the test period. With the enrollment of 29 adult users, 29 adult non-users, 50 adolescent users and 50 adolescent non-users, this robust test would show exactly what does and does not happen to the brain “on drugs”.

The researchers went further to match the groups based on depression, gender and tobacco use. They were also compared by alcohol use as well, much more so than the previous testing.

After testing, MRI scans were used to view changes that occurred in the brains of the participants. There were no apparent changes, including decreases of notable areas in question.

Although this seems like good news to the pro-marijuana population, the tests still have some limitations. It is important to note that even in controlled conditions, test results can depend highly on socioeconomic factors and history of test subjects. However, tests do point away from the detrimental effects of marijuana and suggest that maybe this wonder herb could present a much more positive reputation for science and society.


Copyright © 2012-2024 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

power of misfits book banner desktop

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new thought-provoking articles!

This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Marty Lipka

    I agree testing is important. Until the mid-20s the brain is not fully developed. Pre-25 testing may shed on light on daily use

    1. Sherrie

      I agree. Thanks for reading, Marty

  2. Bradley McDonald

    one glaring obvious points of those tests is the changes to the brain might already taken place since the users were users already , or is it just me that seen that hole in the results?

    1. Mark

      Bradley, either you were high and forgot or you missed the part that said half were non-users. LOL

      1. Sherrie

        Hmm, now why would someone get high and read about getting high? Sounds like when I got high and talked about God. Just seemed like a strange thing to do. Does it help us believe or not believe….or not understand, or not even care?

    2. Sherrie

      I honestly do not think marijuana causes any more damage than any other thing we put in our bodies. Almost everything we ingest is doing something negative to us.

  3. Lily Earhart

    Hi Sherrie,
    On a completely separate note, I would like to point out the leaf in this picture is showing obvious signs of spider mite infestation. This is a common pest of marijuana plants, ornamentals (roses, annuals), as easily as food crops. This trouble can be ruled out by spraying diluted Castille soap and olive on the leaves. Of course that would destroy the marijuana in this case. Its best to use prevention, and some sort of physical barrier at the bottom to prevent the spreading.

    1. Sherrie

      Hahaha, thank you, Lily. I haven’t grown a “weed” plant in over a decade, so no worries. I appreciate your advice, however, since I am an avid lover of gardening. Maybe I will be in need of such a remedy.

Leave a Reply