ekt_bear: Teenagers who frequently smoke marijuana may be setting themselves up for declines in intelligence and mental function that persist well into adulthood, new research suggests.


In a decades-long study of more than 1,000 New Zealanders, researchers found that adolescents who used marijuana at least four days per week lost an average of eight IQ points between the ages of 13 and 38 -- a pattern not seen among people who began smoking heavily only in adulthood.

Heavy pot smokers tended to show deficits in memory, concentration, and overall brainpower in relation to their peers, but these problems were more pronounced -- and seemingly more lasting -- among those who picked up the habit as teens, the study found.
Individuals who smoked heavily in adolescence had consistently lower IQs at age 38, even if they'd cut back in the previous year. By contrast, the IQ of the relative latecomers to marijuana was more closely linked with how much pot they'd smoked recently.

"The effect of persistent cannabis use on intellectual functioning is really confined to adolescents, (which) suggests that adolescents, in particular, are vulnerable to the effect of cannabis," says lead author Madeline H. Meier, a psychologist and postdoctoral researcher at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.


An eight-point decline in IQ isn't negligible, the authors say. Previous research suggests a drop in intelligence of that magnitude could, for instance, affect a person's long-term career prospects, job performance and income.
It's reasonable to suspect that still-growing teen brains might be especially sensitive to the cumulative effects of marijuana, says Dr. Jeffrey Brosco, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.
"In the developing brain, neurons are growing and changing, synapses are forming," says Brosco, who was not involved in the study. "When there's a lot of change in any part of the body, particularly the brain, that usually means it's more vulnerable to environmental influences."





More at--http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/27/health/health-teen-pot/index.html

The conclusion isn't very surprising I guess, but nice to have actual evidence to back it up.

akereconfi:

I stay in an Area where if u dont smoke....they will term u "JEW MAN".....n i hav being able to stay all ma life without smokin nor drinking..........buh am addicted to COCA COLA soft drink....coke.(not cocaine o). Like cigar contains nicotine, that'z d addictive part of cigar.....in coke, there'z caffeine and that caffeine makes me addicted. My soft drinks do me well......thanks for ya "BLAH" am good

Pgent1: Abeg help me shout am 2 dia ears...marijuana is not d best thing 2 give inspiration except u wan turn 2 d likes of terry g,mallam spicy&co(i hope u know dat 2baba start makng sense when he quit egbo)

Emperor5c: Na lie!!!!
Hav u eva tried smokin skonk(SK)?? I swear u‘ll b communin wif d gods

spiaggia: Hello everybody, please need advice on this issue. My wife just arrived America but incidentally had her passport stamped with NO E.O.S/ NO A.O.S by a lady immigration officer who went verbal with unprintable things said. Please is there any possible way in which she can get an extension with this stamped on her passport?

Lagos_Boi:

who told you 2baba stopped smoking? anyday anytime he's high on weed.

vanstanzy:

U sure Me thinks you even failed woefully. U must be mistaking.

Cuddlemii: Other words or terms for marijuana(extra education)
Igbo,
o fe lo wa pa,
kpolli,
fried fish,
grass,
pot,
ganja,
do*pe,
wanna go for a haircut,
indian hemp,
spliff,
mofe tafe,
gbana
weed

kpolli:

Did u just call me marijuana?

kandiikane: Ì. Smoked it before to help me revise once and it helped. I remembered everything I read.

Ejiné: @OP
Or perhaps it could mean that the reason they started smoking the marijuana in the first place was because they ALWAYS were retarrds?

Emperor5c:
My broda jst try smoke am 1st only den wil u realise wot u‘ve bn missin all dis while..

Shalomé: Most of the music u haterz like are Ganja influenced,wiz khalifa,snoopDogg,Tupac,B.I.G,Nas,damian marley,bob marley,beenie man,M.I...U think M.i doesnt smoke,he did that blaze song,my fav toking song*Even if u dey smoke marijuana God bless u*

shymexx: I concur being a former/rehabilitated smoker(that's for me)... However, I don't think this is the case for everyone, some people are different... I know people who function better after smoking zoobie, but personally - it makes me weak, forgetful, lazy, and at the same time overly assertive(the same for most of my mates)...

It depends on the individual's brain capacity and how much their brain can take... I've seen people smoke mash(the lightest marijuana) and go nuts - and I've also seen people smoke high grade, or cheese, yet maintain their normalcy but function at a higher IQ/consciousness(say things extremely intelligent and brilliant)...

In conclusion, just like every scientific research, I think this research is inconclusive!

shymexx: I concur being a former/rehabilitated smoker(that's for me)... However, I don't think this is the case for everyone, some people are different... I know people who function better after smoking zoobie, but personally - it makes me weak, forgetful, lazy, and at the same time overly assertive(the same for most of my mates)...

It depends on the individual's brain capacity and how much their brain can take... I've seen people smoke mash(the lightest marijuana) and go nuts - and I've also seen people smoke high grade, or cheese, yet maintain their normalcy but function at a higher IQ/consciousness(say things extremely intelligent and brilliant)...

In conclusion, just like every scientific research, I think this research is inconclusive!

Psylas: I tot dat marijuana gives inspiration