Dim and demented under the influence of cannabis

[Oz]

Dr Ananya Mandal, MD

 

New research shows what many Cannabis users have suspected or known for a while, continuous use can lead to dimmer brains. Australia ranks among the world's highest cannabis users and this puts the population at a high risk of developing dementia say researchers.

 

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Wollongong says that the brain comes back to its original state once the drug is withdrawn but the main psycho-active ingredient in cannabis, Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, can stay in the body for long periods of time. In frequent users the levels of THC remain high and that can damage the brain in a more permanent way. Under the lingering influence of THC simple tasks may seem difficult says University of Wollongong clinical psychologist Robert Battista. “It is kind of like if you are driving your car down a freeway and the freeway is the most efficient neural pathway ... [cannabis users might find] the road has potholes or there is fog so that it is more effortful, more resources have to go into doing that same task,” he explained.

 

He said that he tested users and non users of the drug in memory, inhibition and attention related tests. He says long-term cannabis users surprisingly performed better at some tasks than newer users. “During the process of the brain reorganizing itself over an extended period of time, it looked like that long-term cannabis users were actually getting some recovery of their memory function with a longer history of use…It is essentially the brain going: 'Okay, well these old pathways that we would prefer to use we can't because they have been disrupted so we'll have to use these other ones and we'll get better and better at using them.',” he said.

 

But Curtin University National Drug Research Institute professor, Simon Lenton warns the results should not make cannabis users feel that the drug is a soft drug. “The picture is mixed. Some studies suggest that functioning does improve after a period of abstinence and for others ... it looks like it doesn't…I think we are still at early days in terms of not only understanding the impact of cannabis on the brain, but also understanding the longer-term impacts and what happens when people stop using cannabis,” he said. He enthused that that harmful effects of the drug is being understood by the population at large since cannabis use has been declining in Australia since the mid 1990s.

Source: The Medical News

ABC News Online

Date: 10/06/2010

 

I don't think it got them quite the results they were after

[The Hash Nibbler]

OOOPPPPSSSS.......just hit a pothole while I was going through the fog, poor Brain. Bong ON! GH72

[freddie]

Talk about a confusing article with a misleading headline.

 

. Australia ranks among the world's highest cannabis users and this puts the population at a high risk of developing dementia say researchers.

Well not according to this other study.

To our knowledge, this was the first long term prospective study in the United States that had a community sample large enough to investigate the relationship between cannabis use and cognitive decline in persons under age 65 years. Other studies have found short term residual effects of cannabis use on memory and cognition (34, 35) that are more severe among women (36) and heavy users (37). However, our data suggest that over the long term cannabis use is not associated with greater declines in cognition among men, women, or heavy users.

http://www.ukcia.org/research/CannabisUseA...tiveDecline.php

 

or this

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15145917

and this

http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/marijuana...imers-symptoms/

 

He says long-term cannabis users surprisingly performed better at some tasks than newer users.

Why not provide some details? Why the misleading headline?

[brick]

How the fuck can he say that cannabis use has declined since the 1990's?

Aren't they busting more people nowdays than the 1990's.

So if the demand is there then surely the usage is up.

More bullshit spin.

Wasn't the 90's the decade of cocaine?

[longtimelady]

How the fuck can he say that cannabis use has declined since the 1990's?

Aren't they busting more people nowdays than the 1990's.

So if the demand is there then surely the usage is up.

More bullshit spin.

Wasn't the 90's the decade of cocaine?

 

Im sick of papers publishing these crappy articles.

 

It's like the immunisation.autism debate - oh yeah lets blame your kids autism on vaccination! Lets ignore what potential genetic damage your kid may have inherited from alcohol/drug abusing parents, let alone any other environmental/in utero damage your child may have been exposed to.

[snooch]

I'm not sure about cannabis, but I'm certain that article made my brain dimmer!

[everest]

bollocks again hwre da fukc ma bogn

 

ev

[cybergenesis]

I have read a lot about this and there is no convincing evidence that marijuana usage long term causes PERMANENT damage- of any sort- to the brain. If it does the effects are mild.

 

Most of us Cannabis smokers can rest assured, its our stupid law abiding alcohol drinking fellow citizens that are really rotting their brains.

 

I like how it says longer term users perform better:

 

NO THEY HAVE GREATER TOLERANCE. Its not because they are "rewiring the damage" its because their cannibinoid receptors are down regulating- as receptors do. Note that while tolerance occurs with heavy cannabis usage, serious withdrawal symptoms do not.

 

The author of this study who does not understand why longer term, heavier users of cannabis are less impaired than new, lighter smoking ones? How is that possible? Its the paradox of cannabis : very heavy usage = less effect that more moderate usage! Read below... Its quite good and I hadn't read it before.

 

http://www.marijuanalibrary.org/brain2.html

 

If marijuana causes damage to the brain we are going to have a spectrum. If 1 in 10 heavy long term users suffer mild damage, then surely 1 in 1000 heavy long term users will be COMPLETE BRAIN DEAD VEGTABLES... Where are these severely marijuana brain damaged people? I mean you find people with alcohol related brian injuries that are very obvious.. Well where are the marijuana users that are complete vegtables?

Edited June 12, 2010 by cybergenesis

[mull]

Oh boy, so dim that the onset of cannabis induced skitzo and shrunken testies will be bearly noticed over the sound of white women having sex with black men and mexicans.. on the potholed neuro freeway to..

 

patent storm - 6630507 Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants

Where the US government haven't got dimmer on having their cake - and prohibiting it too.

 

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Wollongong says that the brain comes back to its original state once the drug is withdrawn but the main psycho-active ingredient in cannabis, Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, can stay in the body for long periods of time.

 

Well, the main psycho-active can stay in the body a long time - if you continually top it up

 

Otherwize, gentle friends of the white coat of Wollongong - you are dealing with nonpsycho-active thc metabolites, which can stay in the bodies fat cells for a long time, as in weeks.

Nice try tho..

 

Funding getting a little dimmer around the uni? Gotta rattle the research can hey?

[Allotropy]

 

What a load of bullshit. Dementia comes with old age. The brain has an amazing capacity to heal itself, Cannabis does not cause braindamage.

 

Don't smoke pot if you have a psychotic illness or severe psychiatric condition. Even people with depression can smoke pot moderately without it aggrevating their condition. I have extensively spoken to a psychiatrist in my family tree. If you shouldn't be smoking pot, you will have allready figured out or been told by a physician.

 

bong on.