Regular Cannabis use 'can cause vocabulary to shrink in middle age'

[Batu69]

 

Cannabis DOES have long-term effects: Regular use 'can cause vocabulary to shrink in middle age' 

• Study followed people regularly exposed to cannabis for up to 25 years
• Participants were given cognitive tests on memory and processing speeds
• For every 5 years of past exposure, half could remember fewer words
• Scientists say in depth tests needed to explore the relationship further

 

The study, which involved long term marijuana use in almost 3,500 adults, found people who used cannabis regularly for up to 25 years could remember fewer words

 

Long-term marijuana use has been linked to poorer vocabulary in middle age, a study has found.

Researchers discovered people who used cannabis regularly for up to 25 years could remember fewer words than those who smoked less or stopped.

The subjects took a series of tests designed to assess cognitive abilities including memory, focus and their ability to make quick decisions.

Use of the drug did not appear to affect the other cognitive functions of the brain.

The study found for every five years of past exposure, half of participants could remember one word fewer from a list of 15 words. 

Despite cannabis use being common among teenagers and young adults, researchers say it remains unclear whether there are long-term effects from low-intensity or occasional use earlier in life.

The investigation looked at men and women who were exposed to repeated measures of cannabis starting in early adulthood.

Scientists carried out a series of tests on verbal memory and processing speed - the pace at which people take in information and respond.

Their executive functions - which let people plan, organise and complete tasks - were also scrutinised, according to the findings published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Doctor Reto Auer, of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and colleagues conducted the research on almost 3,500 participants.

Almost 85 per cent of those who recorded their cognitive abilities reported past cannabis use with just over one in ten saying they continued to use the drug into middle age.

Past exposure to cannabis was associated with worse verbal memory but did not appear to affect other domains of cognitive function, Dr Auer found.

He said further studies including multiple assessments of cognition and brain imaging were needed to have a clearer picture of these associations and their potential clinical and public health implications.

'In the meantime, with recent changes in legislation and the potential for increasing marijuana use in the United States, continuing to warn potential users about the possible harm from exposure to marijuana seems reasonable,' Dr Auer said.

Doctor Michael Lynskey, of Kings College London, said more should be done to warn young people about the 'cognitive and other risks of long-term daily use'.

'Young adults may be skeptical about advice on the putative adverse health effects of cannabis, which they may see as being overstated to justify the prohibition on its use,' he said.

'More research on how young people interpret evidence of harm from cannabis and other drugs would be useful in designing more effective health advice.'

 

Scientists carried out tests on verbal memory and processing speed and found while it affected memory, it didn't affect other cognitive function
 

Article source

[SURbit]

Can't loose something you never had in the first place. I've always seen stimuli from weed use. Besides Cheech and Chong, all the hard rockers, Presidents Clinton-Obama, besides counts of other people would just be unable to function in any rolls of employment, if this study was true. Shame they only found almost 3500, heck I could of volunteered - must of been some killer dope...

 

I'd be more interested in a findings of synthetic crap sold on counters around the cities, it's got to do worst harm than organic from the ground.

[Batu69]

Of course...the lover not ever to say their couple ugly even their couple like zombie.