Weed Feed: Marijuana More Damaging to Teen Brains Than Alcohol, New Study Finds

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WEED FEED / John Ross Ferrara / Monday, Oct. 8, 2018 @ 8:22 a.m.

Weed Feed: Marijuana More Damaging to Teen Brains Than Alcohol, New Study Finds

Not an actual photo of teen brains. | Wikimedia

Teens who use marijuana cause more damage to their brains than those who drink alcohol, a new study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry finds.

According to the study, marijuana use showed signs of short and long-term effects on the teens’ cognitive brain functions, including problem solving, long-term memory, short-term memory and manipulation, USA Today reports.

“For adolescents who use substances, the lasting effects of cannabis on cognition appear to be more pronounced than those observed for alcohol,” The American Journal of Psychiatry Tweeted Friday.

The study looked at 4,000 students in the Montreal area during a four-year period, starting when the average research subject was roughly 13 years old.

Although researchers reportedly expected alcohol to have worse effects on the teens’ brains, they could not link teen alcohol use to any signs of brain damage.

“We initially suspected alcohol would have a bigger effect,” lead author and professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal Patricia Conrod told USA TODAY.

The study also found that teens who used marijuana were more prone to drug addiction as they grew older.

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