Cannabis is Harmful Towards Developing Brains

lol wow.. i didnt start tokin til i was like 13-14 or somethin.. hell i dont even think i knew what weed was when i was 11 haha

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Originally Posted by rebgirl420

Ive smoked since i was 11 also and now im in college getting straight A's like I have all my life and i'm going to become an elementry school teacher :)

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You can be my teacher lol ;):rastasmoke:

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Originally Posted by orangeman

If this is true then my brain is harmed because I'm 16 and obviously I'm still developing lol.

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Do you ever feel surprised how much your brain is changing?
How much you're consciousness is growing....

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Originally Posted by Inferius

Do you ever feel surprised how much your brain is changing?
How much you're consciousness is growing....

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I've noticed an obvious improvement the last two years. Other have noticed as well.:rasta:

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Originally Posted by rebgirl420

Ive smoked since i was 11 also and now im in college getting straight A's like I have all my life and i'm going to become an elementry school teacher :)

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More power to you. I'll bet cannabis contributed to your success.:rasta:

Hehe yeah it did I mean I play bass and am an artsy person in general whether it be drawing or writing and when im high I get my best work done in school.

And as for the concept that "cannabis is a gateway drug is false". They say that kids and teens that drink more are more likely to move onto higher drugs than those who use cannabis alone and also if you check in the videos they are actually talking about how small amount of cannabis taken orally is better than ritaline so dont belive all the propaganda folk

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Originally Posted by mrdevious

I wouldn't recommend any alterations in brain-chemistry at an age when the brain is still developing. Cannabis certainly isn't guaranteed to be detrimental, I have a 20 year old friend who's been smoking pot every day since she was 13, and she has one more semester to go before getting her degree in business administration. My other hardcore stoner friend is in his third year of sciences, getting all A's and B's, majoring in physics, chemistry, evolutionary and nuclear biology, as well as advanced calculus.

On the other hand, through the teen years synapses are forming and grouping, the brain is pruning and making connections more efficient, the hypocamupus is still developing in memory and emotional control (THC has been shown to stimulate cell-growth in the hipocamupus however). The point is, consuming a substance which will (while tolerance is low enough to still induce pleasure) stimulate seratonin and dopamine production at heightened levels, will be bound to carry a risk of descencitizing those receptors (or "burning them out") and cause issues with depression, emotional stablity, and occasionally psychological instability. Not to mention such a stress-relieving and often escapist substance used in the teen years will deprive the brain of the necessary time needed to develope skills in dealing with stress and responsbilities independantly.

I say legalize cannabis, but it's not for kids.

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I'm 19 now and I have smoked pot since I was 14. I do notice some slight


stimulate seratonin and dopamine production at heightened levels, will be bound to carry a risk of descencitizing those receptors (or "burning them out") and cause issues with depression, emotional stablity, and occasionally psychological instability. Not to mention such a stress-relieving and often escapist substance used in the teen years will deprive the brain of the necessary time needed to develope skills in dealing with stress and responsbilities independantly.


Theres no way to reverse this is there.

Eur J Pharmacol. 2008 May 13;585(2-3):441-52. Epub 2008 Mar 18.
Cannabis and the developing brain: insights from behavior.
Trezza V, Cuomo V, Vanderschuren LJ.

Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. [email protected]

The isolation and identification, in 1964, of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, opened the door to a whole new field of medical research. The exploration of the therapeutic potential of THC and other natural and synthetic cannabinoid compounds was paralleled by the discovery of the endocannabinoid system, comprising cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands, which offered exciting new insights into brain function. Besides its well-known involvement in specific brain functions, such as control of movement, memory and emotions, the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in fundamental developmental processes such as cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. For this reason, changes in its activity during stages of high neuronal plasticity, such as the perinatal and the adolescent period, can have long-lasting neurobehavioral consequences. Here, we summarize human and animal studies examining the behavioral and neurobiological effects of in utero and adolescent exposure to cannabis. Since cannabis preparations are widely used and abused by young people, including pregnant women, understanding how cannabinoid compounds affect the developing brain, leading to neurobehavioral alterations or neuropsychiatric disorders later in life, is a serious health issue. In addition, since the endocannabinoid system is emerging as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of several neuropsychiatric diseases, a detailed investigation of possible adverse effects of cannabinoid compounds on the central nervous system (CNS) of immature individuals is warranted.

since the last time I posted in this thread. Here are a few more interesting studies on the subject.

Moderate cannabis use not harmful to the brain of adolescents, M R I study finds
IACM-Bulletin

No brain structural change associated with adolescent cannabis use
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/bot...&artid=1524733

Pot May Not Shrink Teens' Brains After All
Medical News: Pot May Not Shrink Teens' Brains After All - in Neurology, General Neurology from MedPage Today

Swiss Study Finds Marijuana Use Alone May Benefit Some Teens
FOXNews.com - Swiss Study Finds Marijuana Use Alone May Benefit Some Teens, U.S. Doctor Disagrees - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

Some go without a cigarette: characteristics of cannabis users who have never smoked tobacco.
Some go without a cigarette: characteristics of cannabis users who have never smoked tobacco.


And in kids with ADHD, I have personally seen it do some pretty good things. :thumbsup:

Granny :hippy: