I think it just depends on the person. I didn't start smoking until age 15, which by today's standards, is late. There are kids in my hometown on crack at 12 or 13 now, which is really sad. I can say that I wish I hadn't smoked in high school. I was always good in school, and it came easy for me. Weed just made me care less about it though. I was more worried about who I was going to smoke my next blunt with. I ended up quitting school after 10th grade, but took my GED test and passed with flying colors. I then enrolled in college at 16, but at that stage, didn't take it seriously, and never went to class. Later in life, after having a child, I finished a medical administration program with a 3.81 GPA, and smoked throughout. I am currently enrolled in a biotechnology transfer program, and have a 4.0 after 2 semesters, and I still smoke. I plan to get a B.S. in biology and chemistry with a concentration in pharmaceutical science, and go work for the devil, aka the legal drug companies, but hope to get some things changed in the industry. I have found that I really enjoy chemistry, and the only difference I can tell you is that I am older. I am 28 now, and I'm not obsessed with smoking. I do still enjoy it, just on a different level, and honestly, I think it helps me concentrate when studying for a test. So again, I think it can vary from person to person, but it was not a good thing for me when I was younger. I also debate the memory loss issue, because it has not affected me in that manner. Perhaps those symptoms will come on later, but as of now, smoking 13 years, I have not noticed any memory impairment.