A recent study has revealed that teenagers who smoke cannabis are susceptible to damaging the lining of their brains.
The study, which was conducted by researchers in the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine, Canada, found that individuals who had smoked cannabis before the age of 16 had a thinner cerebral cortex (the outermost layer of the brain) than those who had not.
According to experts, the results are alarming since the cerebral cortex is an essential brain region that controls memory, reasoning, and cognition.
Led by Graciela Piñeyro and co-authored by Tomáš Paus, the research opined that tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance in cannabis, causes shrinkage of the lining of the brain.
Explaining further, Dr Tomáš Paus says, “If we take the analogy of the brain as a computer, the neurons would be the central processor, receiving all information via the synapses through the dendritic network,
“ This causes some parts of the cerebral cortex to atrophy, which is detrimental at a time when the brain is developing.”
Previous research has also connected teenage cannabis use to a higher chance of developing severe psychotic disorders later in life.
Additionally, a 2008 study headed by Wayne Hall and published in the World Psychiatric Association’s official journal revealed that teens who had smoked marijuana at least five times had a ten-year risk of developing psychosis that was twice that of those who had never tried the drug.
According to Dr Tomas Paus, “A reduced data flow to the brain’s processing centre makes it harder to learn, socialise, and handle new situations, leaving the brain more vulnerable to challenges young people face.”
