Who says, “Weed is safe?” Teenagers, beware!
Here is a study which was carried out using magnetic resonance imaging on 799 adolescents who used cannabis (weed). It shows that cannabis use was associated with accelerated age- related cortical thinning form 14 to 19 years of age in predominantly prefrontal regions. This means that cannabis use adversely affects brain development during adolescece. So everything that is legalized is not safe!!
Association of Cannabis Use During Adolescence With Neurodevelopment
Matthew D. Albaugh, PhD1; Jonatan Ottino-Gonzalez, PhD1; Amanda Sidwell, BS1; et al
“To our knowledge, the present investigation represents the largest longitudinal neuroimaging study of adolescent cannabis use to date. We report evidence of an association between adolescent cannabis use and altered cortical thickness development in a longitudinal sample of youths. The spatial pattern of cannabis-related thinning was associated with a PET-derived map of CB1 receptor availability as well as a map of age-related thickness change. The findings underscore the importance of further longitudinal studies of adolescent cannabis use, particularly given increasing trends in the legalization of recreational cannabis use.”