Marijuana Leaf (Photo : Reuters)
Scientists have found out that marijuana use during teenage years can contribute to long term memory loss.
Northwestern University researchers have studied the link between marijuana use and its negative effect on long-term memory in the later part of a person's life.
Dr. John Csernansky, the senior author on the study, said that the affected brain processes by marijuana use includes the ones that are usually utilized every single day in problem solving and sustaining long term relationships with family and friends, according to Science World Report.
One of the researchers, Dr. Matthew Smith, said that use of cannabis affects the hippocampus, which is located within the middle section of the human brain.
"The hippocampus is involved in just kind of day-to-day conversation. If you're going to talk to somebody, and you want to remember what you're talking about later on in the day or tomorrow or after, the hippocampus is essential to that," said Dr. Smith.
The study shows that young adults who heavily used marijuana during their teenage years scored 18 percent less on tests regarding long-term memory, compared to adults who did not smoke or use cannabis in any way.
In addition, the researchers found out that the longer the marijuana use, the greater it affects the hippocampus.
Dr. Smith said that those who used cannabis had smaller hippocampus, and it continues to shrink as long as marijuana is still being used.
The study suggests that introducing the drug into an adolescent brain severely affects its development as it is still maturing at the stage, according to WGN TV. The authors of the study said that the fault lies in the cannabis' THC receptors, which differs in potency depending on how the plant was grown.
