The effects of daily cannabis use on teenage brains is worse than originally thought

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buzzmarlie

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The effects of daily cannabis use on teenage brains is worse than originally thought and the long-term effects appear to be irreversible, new research from McGill University suggests.

The study, by Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a psychiatric researcher from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, suggests that daily cannabis consumption can lead to depression and anxiety.

The new study, published in Neurobiology of Disease, suggests that the reputed "soft" drug has an impact on serotonin and norepinephrine, compounds which help control mood and anxiety.

Her research team observed that 18 rats exposed to cannabis had decreased levels of serotonin, which affects mood; and higher levels of norepinephrine, which makes one more susceptible long-term to stress.

"These permanent changes in the brain are also linked to certain mental illnesses, like schizophrenia," Gobbi said in an interview Thursday.

"And we showed that even if we stopped the cannabis use at the end of adolescence, the changes were still detectable in adulthood."

While past epidemiological studies have shown how cannabis consumption can affect behaviour in some teenagers, Gobbi said the new study demonstrates that the effects are more devastating in teens compared to adults.

"Our study is one of the first to focus on the neurobiological mechanisms at the root of this influence of cannabis on depression and anxiety in adolescents," she said.

Gobbi says the study reveals that because serotonin and norepinephrine systems are still in development during adolescence, cannabis interfere with their development.

"We don't know if some subjects would be more at-risk than others, including adults," said the McGill professor.

Gobbi said she will be observing a group of young human marijuana smokers to continue her research.

December 17, 2009
Breitbart
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1
 
thats extremely ironic because I've been smoking everyday since I was 12 and people tell me I'm the most laid back stress free person they have ever met
 
Scary news! To me, it makes sense to try to discourage people from using drugs until they are adults (including ritalin!!). This research supports that idea. The developing body is simply more susceptible to harm from pollutants.
However, the brain changes observed were in RATS, not human beings, and while the results suggest that there are similar dangers for people, they do not prove it.

And, once we are adults, even if we know for certain that a drug causes a bad disease like cancer (e.g. tobacco), we should certainly be free to use it.
 
Is there any understanding of the actual effects of these changes, or what actually causes the changes? I do not see anything saying what makes these changes to be bad... (except "an increased susceptibility to stress")
 
Dr.DOB said:
thats extremely ironic because I've been smoking everyday since I was 12 and people tell me I'm the most laid back stress free person they have ever met
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Maybe thats because your stoned all the time? ;)

I think cannabis can potentially have a detrimental effect if used daily as a teenager for years. Although I believe if you just stop smoking for a while it will reverse most of the negative effects if any that may have developed. I really don't know though, it's probably mainly people with underlying issues anyway that suffer long-term.

Legalise it with the same restrictions/regulations that alcohol has. And educate kids properly, not this bullshit that only says it's going to make you insane and other crap that is just rediculous and so far from reality. Educate them with the TRUTH, that it actually is ok to smoke weed occasionally, like society views alcohol as ok to enjoy occasionally. Explain the main reason daily smoking is unhealthy because of the way it can potentially make you apathetic and lazy in regard to many things during a time in your life where you should be focused on school and growing as a person which isn't going to happen if your stoned all day, everyday, sitting on the couch.

I love weed and have been smoking daily with the odd break here and there for 6 years, though I'm being drug tested at the moment for reasons I won't bother going into right now. But this has caused me to cut back on my smoking alot. My head just isn't as hazy and I have more energy/am more outgoing now that I don't smoke all day, everyday. Legalise it and educate properly. It's a drug, and like any drug abused (multiple times daily over an extended period of time) has the possibility of leading the problems. Some people can be fine, while others may not be.

/end ramble
 
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I have no trouble believing this, I think that daily cannabis use for years as a teenager definately caused some problems for me. Mainly anxiety which I still suffer from but less than I was smoking. I still smoke dope fairly regularly, and sometimes when I do I get real anxious.

I would be surprised if this lasted forever if I stopped cannabis altogether but you never do know, I definately think some of the dangers of cannabis are underplayed by certain people who are too pro cannabis. Thats not to say its not the least harmful recreational drug, just not harmless like many seem to believe.
 
I am a teenager and for me personally smoking marijuana once a day (at night not being stoned all day) has virtually eliminated my long lasting depression and anxiety. I am where I want to be in my life and marijuana is a part of that. However, now when I smoke in group settings I get very awkward and paranoid. I think marijuana daily can definatly harm a teenage mind but in some cases i would say it can help.
 
While this study was done on rats, its results do warrant human studies.
I would like to see studies of the effects of occasional cannabis use in adolescence.
 
Matterofperception, I would be surprised if you can keep up daily use on any level without starting to notice a negative impact on your life, but I am only basing that on my own experience and those of the many bongheads I have known over the years, you could be lucky.

Maybe if you keep it to once a day but in my experience this is difficult. Also when you get anxious while smoking with people but want to smoke it often makes you avoid social interaction. It might not happen to you bro, but it is worth evaluating now if it is in your best interests to continue daily cannabis use. I deeply regret how much bud I have smoked because the anxiety it has given me is totally not worth it.
 
I found that at first weed seemed to be the greatest thing in the world, and though I've quit, I still crave it sometimes. After awhile, though, it seemed to make me want to isolate because I did not like socializing stoned. Having not smoked it in about 3 or 4 months, I feel mostly back to my original emotional baseline. I do feel that weed helped me become more insightful, though. As in all things, moderation is the key.
 
If I ever wanna buy another gram in my life, I wouldn't dare ever smoke it with any of my friends, I'm never making that mistake again. I'll only smoke it at home, alone, when all the important work is done, and I have my stack of video games and unwatched DVDs ready for me to rip through. Unfortunately I don't have my own place yet and my parents believe the government.

I like harder drugs anyways, I can actually do important work on them, and be around my friends without hating every second of it.


EDIT: wow i just realized how off subject this post is. well, i agree with the damages. my first time was incredible, but when you're a teen who likes pot you're surrounded by other teens who like pot. all they ever do is smoke pot. and when i was smoking pot every day, after a year i was perfectly miserable and thought i was the most worthless piece of shit on the planet and didn't know how to do anything about it because i was too high, and quite frankly when you're in such a position, your friends really don't care at all. especially when you pin it on pot, then they just tell you you're wrong. i came to the conclusion that it isn't my drug, and now i refuse it when it's offered to me. sure, it's safe and all, but abuse is abuse. negatives will gleam and they will suck.

i have a theory that your maturity freezes at the age you fall in love with pot anytime before puberty finishes. you can get smarter, you can get stronger, you can change dramatically, sure, but when i think about it, im 16 at heart and i can't even imagine maturing further, it just wont be me.
 
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BollWeevil said:
Is there any understanding of the actual effects of these changes, or what actually causes the changes? I do not see anything saying what makes these changes to be bad... (except "an increased susceptibility to stress")
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Well its all whooy in my opinion until they can prove exactly how and why it does this or else this means there is some correlation and in rats.
 
I am living proof of this, nearly 3 years of canabis smoking till the age of 17 has left my head feeling fcuked ever since.

Been off it for 6 years and am still on anti depressants battling with chronic depression, I have no reason to be depressed other than canabis messing with my mind at such a young age full of teenage angst an all that.
 
bighooter said:
I am living proof of this, nearly 3 years of canabis smoking till the age of 17 has left my head feeling fcuked ever since.

Been off it for 6 years and am still on anti depressants battling with chronic depression, I have no reason to be depressed other than canabis messing with my mind at such a young age full of teenage angst an all that.
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Um, I hate sounding overly pro-marijuana, but I've gotta think there are other issues that contributed to you suffering from chronic depression. Especially when you said "I have no reason to be depressed other than canabis messing with my mind" There are people who suffer from chronic depression who have never smoked weed, just saying "I have no reason" isn't counting other posibilities, which there clearly are. Not to say its not a possibility, but mental illnesses often show themselves during adolecence, well thats just my two cents
 
yet again more retarded studies.



rats aren't humans, and they havent evolved to develop THC receptors which are naturally in the human brain. why? because rats havent been using cannabis for THOUSANDS of years.
 
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