Experiments done on adult female rats by Louisiana State University have shown that the estrogen produced by ovaries slightly counters the effects that THC has on memory and learning ability. Moreover there has been no research conducted on exposure to THC during the rodent equivalent of adolescence.
In the most recent tests, six female rats with ovaries intact and six female rats with ovaries removed were all exposed to THC during their so-called “adolescent” period, and were trained to perform tasks for food. Upon reaching adulthood, the rats were again exposed to THC and given a test. For comparison, 12 rats (six with ovaries, six without) were given the same tests, but were only exposed to THC during adulthood.
The results showed that the rats exposed to THC during adolescence performed more poorly on their tests overall; with or without ovaries. Although this particular study excluded male rats, it’s yet another insight into the world or the effects of THC.
Don’t let the Partnership for a Drug Free America get their hands on this, it would just be adding fuel to the fire.Tim
Even though this article is a little dated – March 2006 style – it has some important ramifications. We obviously show a lot of the positive sides of marijuana, but just as with any other drug, there are side-effects.
Live Science reports on a study conducted for Neurology Magazine that proves just how harmful weed can be. Especially, the affect it has on memory development when smoked at a young age.
The entire study is interesting, but let’s just skip to the major points:
- Long-time users remember 7 of 15 words compared to non-users who remember 12 of 15
- Pot seriously harms long-term memory development of people who start smoking before 17 years of age
- In a decision making test, non-smokers had impaired results only 8% of the time, while long-term smokers had it 70% of the time
Pretty scary stuff to be honest. This is why it’s important that any legalization rules prevent people under the age of 18 from smoking any marijuana. The crazy part is when you look at the numbers – 3.1 million Americans age 12 and older use marijuana daily or almost daily. That statistic should be starting at 18 and older, not 12 and older.
So, let’s close this article off with a sobering quote from Lambros Messinis, Department of Neurology staff member from Patras, Greece:
We found that the longer people used marijuana, the more deterioration they had in these cognitive abilities, especially in the ability to learn and remember new information.
Looks like moderation should be the long-time users mantra.
[via Live Science]