News BREAKING NEWS!: Casual marijuana use linked with brain abnormalities - Page 9

**Tribal Warfare** · 04-15-2014, 09:12 PM

Casual marijuana use linked with brain abnormalities, study finds

Casual marijuana use may come with some not-so-casual side effects.

For the first time, researchers at Northwestern University have analyzed the relationship between casual use of marijuana and brain changes – and found that young adults who used cannabis just once or twice a week showed significant abnormalities in two important brain structures.

The study’s findings, to be published Wednesday in the Journal of Neuroscience, are similar to those of past research linking chronic, long-term marijuana use with mental illness and changes in brain development.

Dr. Hans Breiter, co-senior study author, said he was inspired to look at the effects of casual marijuana use after previous work in his lab found that heavy cannabis use caused similar brain abnormalities to those seen in patients with schizophrenia.

"The interaction of marijuana with brain development could be a significant problem."

- Dr. Hans Breiter, co-senior study author

“There were abnormalities in their working memory, which is fundamental to everything you do,” Breiter, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com. “When you make judgments or decisions, plan things, do mathematics – anything you do always involves working memory. It’s one of the core fundamental aspects of our brains that we use every day. So given those findings, we decided we need to look at casual, recreational use.”

For their most recent study, Breiter and his team analyzed a very small sample of patients between the ages of 18 and 25: 20 marijuana users and 20 well-matched control subjects. The marijuana users had a wide range of usage routines, with some using the drug just once or twice a week and others using it every single day.

Utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers analyzed the participants’ brains, focusing on the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and the amygdala – two key brain regions responsible for processing emotions, making decisions and motivation. They looked at these brain structures in three different ways, measuring their density, volume and shape.

According to Breiter, all three were abnormal in the casual marijuana users.

“For the NAC, all three measures were abnormal, and they were abnormal in a dose-dependent way, meaning the changes were greater with the amount of marijuana used,” Breiter said. “The amygdala had abnormalities for shape and density, and only volume correlated with use. But if you looked at all three types of measures, it showed the relationships between them were quite abnormal in the marijuana users, compared to the normal controls.”

Because these brain regions are central for motivation, the findings from Northwestern help support the well-known theory that marijuana use leads to a condition called amotivation. Also called amotivational syndrome, this psychological condition causes people to become less oriented towards their goals and purposes in life, as well as seem less focused in general.

Given these eye-opening results, Breiter said that more research is needed to look into marijuana’s effects on the brain – even in those who use the drug only once or twice a month.

“We need to see what happens longitudinally,” Breiter said. “What happens as you follow people over time? What happens if they stop using – do these bad effects continue? What happens if you can intervene early?...My worry is we haven’t studied this compound and here we are looking to change legislation on it.”

Although Breiter’s team members did not examine the patients’ cognitive symptoms, they do believe that the brain abnormalities seen in their study could lead to substantial effects on brain development and behavior, especially given the young ages of the participants. Breiter also acknowledged the problems of analyzing a very small study sample – but said that their findings should still serve as a wake-up call to others.

“This study is just a beginning pilot study, but at the same time, the results that came out are the same as a canary in a coal mine,” Breiter said. “...The interaction of marijuana with brain development could be a significant problem.”

htismaqe · 04-16-2014, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

I thought you'd like that.

You bastard!

**Nzoner** · 04-16-2014, 12:46 PM

I think I swallowed the hook too

teedubya · 04-16-2014, 12:46 PM

In all of these debates, few talk about the 50,000+ products that can be made from hemp, which is the actual reason for the prohibition of it.

Regardless if you smoke it or not, the plant is pretty ****ing miraculous.

htismaqe · 04-16-2014, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teedubya

In all of these debates, few talk about the 50,000+ products that can be made from hemp, which I'd the actual reason for the prohibition of it.

Regardless if you smoke it or not, the plant is pretty ****ing miraculous.

I mentioned the lumber companies earlier. Between them and petroleum companies, especially ones that were in on the early days of polyester plastics, there was no way hemp was ever going to be legal again.

teedubya · 04-16-2014, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I mentioned the lumber companies earlier. Between them and petroleum companies, especially ones that were in on the early days of polyester plastics, there was no way hemp was ever going to be legal again.

Yes! Someone who gets it! You sir, are a wise man.

**Nzoner** · 04-16-2014, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teedubya

Yes! Someone who gets it! You sir, are a wise man.

but according to the study he has brain abnormalities

htismaqe · 04-16-2014, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nzoner

but according to the study he has brain abnormalities

Correct.

I'm also legally insane, according to studies done on the usage of LSD.

**Donger** · 04-16-2014, 01:04 PM

I Hate Big Lumber.

ModSocks · 04-16-2014, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

I Hate Big Lumber.

That's what she said

BlackHelicopters · 04-16-2014, 01:11 PM

Ban Big Lumber

ThaVirus · 04-16-2014, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

You think that would prove this?

Why do people blindly accept all of the potentially dangerous and sometimes deadly side effects of pharmaceuticals

Hold on, let me find the study that proves it.

**Bowser** · 04-16-2014, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick Bull

The gateway drug strikes again!!!!

Dammit.

KC native · 04-16-2014, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowser

holy ancient gif batman.

Katipan · 04-16-2014, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

I Hate Big Lumber.

Will you and your wife come to my home and eat some brownies?

ModSocks · 04-16-2014, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katipan

Will you and your wife come to my home and eat some brownies?

Why, do you like big wood? Err Lumber.

04-15-2014, 09:12 PM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $932813	BREAKING NEWS!: Casual marijuana use linked with brain abnormalities Casual marijuana use linked with brain abnormalities, study finds Casual marijuana use may come with some not-so-casual side effects. For the first time, researchers at Northwestern University have analyzed the relationship between casual use of marijuana and brain changes – and found that young adults who used cannabis just once or twice a week showed significant abnormalities in two important brain structures. The study’s findings, to be published Wednesday in the Journal of Neuroscience, are similar to those of past research linking chronic, long-term marijuana use with mental illness and changes in brain development. Dr. Hans Breiter, co-senior study author, said he was inspired to look at the effects of casual marijuana use after previous work in his lab found that heavy cannabis use caused similar brain abnormalities to those seen in patients with schizophrenia. "The interaction of marijuana with brain development could be a significant problem." - Dr. Hans Breiter, co-senior study author “There were abnormalities in their working memory, which is fundamental to everything you do,” Breiter, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com. “When you make judgments or decisions, plan things, do mathematics – anything you do always involves working memory. It’s one of the core fundamental aspects of our brains that we use every day. So given those findings, we decided we need to look at casual, recreational use.” For their most recent study, Breiter and his team analyzed a very small sample of patients between the ages of 18 and 25: 20 marijuana users and 20 well-matched control subjects. The marijuana users had a wide range of usage routines, with some using the drug just once or twice a week and others using it every single day. Utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers analyzed the participants’ brains, focusing on the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and the amygdala – two key brain regions responsible for processing emotions, making decisions and motivation. They looked at these brain structures in three different ways, measuring their density, volume and shape. According to Breiter, all three were abnormal in the casual marijuana users. “For the NAC, all three measures were abnormal, and they were abnormal in a dose-dependent way, meaning the changes were greater with the amount of marijuana used,” Breiter said. “The amygdala had abnormalities for shape and density, and only volume correlated with use. But if you looked at all three types of measures, it showed the relationships between them were quite abnormal in the marijuana users, compared to the normal controls.” Because these brain regions are central for motivation, the findings from Northwestern help support the well-known theory that marijuana use leads to a condition called amotivation. Also called amotivational syndrome, this psychological condition causes people to become less oriented towards their goals and purposes in life, as well as seem less focused in general. Given these eye-opening results, Breiter said that more research is needed to look into marijuana’s effects on the brain – even in those who use the drug only once or twice a month. “We need to see what happens longitudinally,” Breiter said. “What happens as you follow people over time? What happens if they stop using – do these bad effects continue? What happens if you can intervene early?...My worry is we haven’t studied this compound and here we are looking to change legislation on it.” Although Breiter’s team members did not examine the patients’ cognitive symptoms, they do believe that the brain abnormalities seen in their study could lead to substantial effects on brain development and behavior, especially given the young ages of the participants. Breiter also acknowledged the problems of analyzing a very small study sample – but said that their findings should still serve as a wake-up call to others. “This study is just a beginning pilot study, but at the same time, the results that came out are the same as a canary in a coal mine,” Breiter said. “...The interaction of marijuana with brain development could be a significant problem.”
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04-16-2014, 12:46 PM	#122
Nzoner a haw haw haw Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: MIZZOU Casino cash: $26365802	I think I swallowed the hook too __________________ *Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.*
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04-16-2014, 12:46 PM	#123
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $9490002	In all of these debates, few talk about the 50,000+ products that can be made from hemp, which is the actual reason for the prohibition of it. Regardless if you smoke it or not, the plant is pretty ***ing miraculous. Last edited by teedubya; 04-16-2014 at 01:06 PM..*
Posts: 36,651

04-16-2014, 01:04 PM	#128
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10369900 VARSITY	I Hate Big Lumber. __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,683

04-16-2014, 01:11 PM	#130
BlackHelicopters Spiraling down the Drain Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Dante's Ninth Circle Casino cash: $2730588	Ban Big Lumber __________________ "We're both part of the same hypocrisy, Senator, but never think it applies to my family." "Fredo. You are my brother, and I love you. But never take sides against the Family again. Ever." 2019 Adopt a Chief - Travis Kelce #87
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