Marijuana and the Brain: A Teenage Disaster
Many folks falsely believe that marijuana is relatively harmless.
That belief is false and can lead to serious problems, especially for teenagers.
So let us review some facts about the substance here.
THC or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is the primary active ingredient in marijuana.
The short term impact of this chemical includes impaired memory and learning ability, reduced thinking and problem solving ability, distorted perception, reduced coordination, increased heart rate, and possible panic attacks.
Researchers have found that the substance changes the processing of information in the hippocampus of the brain.
THC suppresses cells used for processing information.
This in turn reduces learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences and emotion.
Previously learned behaviors that depend on the hippocampus are impaired.
Safe driving, effective learning, and logical thinking are not possible under the influence of marijuana.
One of the most disastrous aspects of the impact of marijuana on the brain is the permanent damage it can do to teenagers because their brains are still developing.
A study at Duke University found that, among teens that use marijuana regularly and become "dependent" on it, their IQ was lowered by an average of 8 points as they reached adulthood.
That is the equivalent of dropping from the 50th percentile to the 30th percentile in intelligence! Put simply, both the short term and the long term impact of marijuana is a "dumbing down" of the teenage mind.
In states like Colorado that legalize the medical use of marijuana and establish sales centers for that use, the sales centers have one goal - - sell as much as possible.
Lax rules and enforcement then lead to much greater availability of pot to teens.
In view of the measured potential for damage to teenage minds; parents, educators, and legislators need to be very active in protecting teenagers from this danger.
To add a little more information, the marijuana smoke has the same negative effect on the lungs as cigarette smoke.
In fact, the amount of tar and carbon monoxide absorbed is greater than that from cigarette smoke.
Long term studies show that regular marijuana users demonstrate lower achievement, more deviant behavior, and poorer relationships than non-users.
Marijuana is especially toxic to the human brain.
Anyone telling you that this is not true is either misinformed or deliberately misleading you.
This article may be copied and distributed by any person or any school or college interested in protecting the young people in our society.
That belief is false and can lead to serious problems, especially for teenagers.
So let us review some facts about the substance here.
THC or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is the primary active ingredient in marijuana.
The short term impact of this chemical includes impaired memory and learning ability, reduced thinking and problem solving ability, distorted perception, reduced coordination, increased heart rate, and possible panic attacks.
Researchers have found that the substance changes the processing of information in the hippocampus of the brain.
THC suppresses cells used for processing information.
This in turn reduces learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences and emotion.
Previously learned behaviors that depend on the hippocampus are impaired.
Safe driving, effective learning, and logical thinking are not possible under the influence of marijuana.
One of the most disastrous aspects of the impact of marijuana on the brain is the permanent damage it can do to teenagers because their brains are still developing.
A study at Duke University found that, among teens that use marijuana regularly and become "dependent" on it, their IQ was lowered by an average of 8 points as they reached adulthood.
That is the equivalent of dropping from the 50th percentile to the 30th percentile in intelligence! Put simply, both the short term and the long term impact of marijuana is a "dumbing down" of the teenage mind.
In states like Colorado that legalize the medical use of marijuana and establish sales centers for that use, the sales centers have one goal - - sell as much as possible.
Lax rules and enforcement then lead to much greater availability of pot to teens.
In view of the measured potential for damage to teenage minds; parents, educators, and legislators need to be very active in protecting teenagers from this danger.
To add a little more information, the marijuana smoke has the same negative effect on the lungs as cigarette smoke.
In fact, the amount of tar and carbon monoxide absorbed is greater than that from cigarette smoke.
Long term studies show that regular marijuana users demonstrate lower achievement, more deviant behavior, and poorer relationships than non-users.
Marijuana is especially toxic to the human brain.
Anyone telling you that this is not true is either misinformed or deliberately misleading you.
This article may be copied and distributed by any person or any school or college interested in protecting the young people in our society.
