What's new
  • Please note members who been with us for more than 10 years have been upgraded to "Veteran" status and will receive exclusive benefits. If you wish to find out more about this or support IcMag and get same benefits, check this thread here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

Should Cannabis Be Avoided Before Age 25?

THCengineer

Member
research-should-not-use-cannabis-until-302.jpg

Research has also shown how THC affects the growth of electrical pathways and brain matter. The consensus seems to be that cannabis use is fine, but only after you have finished growing.

New Research Suggests You Shouldn’t Use Cannabis Before Age 25 By LA Lady | June 06, 2017

From infancy to the age of 25, the human brain goes through a dramatic growth process that solidifies the essence of a person: likes, dislikes, temperament, senses of touch and smell are all determined within the first five years of a human life. Within the teenage years, a person’s judgement begins to form that is independent of their intellect and academic abilities, and will be fully-formed around the age of 25. Therefore, any substance or environmental factor that could inhibit this development is discouraged by doctors.

While cannabis seems to have little effect on adult brains over 25, doctors are concerned by cannabis use among teenagers, and want to warn them on the dangers of using cannabis before the brain is ready. “You should know what you’re getting into. You should know what will happen,” said Jennifer Golick from Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services in Marin County, CA. “Be an informed consumer — you make the choice.” Golick sees about 180 children as patients who have cannabis dependency and understands drug abstinence education has little effect on the teenage population.

In terms of recreational substances, alcohol, heroin, cocaine, tobacco, ecstasy and methamphetamine are far more lethal than cannabis. In fact, lethal overdoses of cannabis are non-existent due to how cannabis is processed in the human body and the amount needed to trigger an overdose. But doctors want teenage patients to know that a non-lethal substance can still be harmful.

According to Sion Kim Harris, a researcher at the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research at Boston Children’s Hospital, teenagers involved in heavy cannabis consumption often have decreased neurocognitive function and brain development. This is due to THC’s effect on neurons in the hippocampus, decreasing their activity in a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. If the hippocampus has prolonged exposure to THC during the developmental phase, it could lead to undersized development and therefore decreased function. Since a human brain doesn’t fully develop until the age of 25 or so, teenage brains are more easily-influenced by internal and external stressors, and are more adept at learning and adapting to new influences. If neurons in the hippocampus are less active over time, the brain naturally disables these neurons, which affects memory formation.
“That is one of the biggest issues for teens — the ‘opportunity cost,” Harris said. “Learning is the number one job for teens, and if they are having problems with learning, that will impact their ability to grow into adulthood.”
Research has also shown how THC affects the growth of brain matter, and how electrical pathways in the brain can be weaker. Myelin, the substance responsible for insulating neurons and other nerve cells, does not form as well in the presence of chronic THC consumption. “So the implication is your brain is slower.” said Harris.
“There’s a problem with cognitive processing. It’s not as sharp or as strong. It’s harder to maintain focus.”
There is also a connection between how early the brain is exposed to harmful substances and the severity of developmental damage. According to one report,
“The brain does not complete development until approximately age 25, and data from the field of alcohol use reflect that substance use exposure during this period when the brain undergoes rapid transformation could have a more lasting impact on cognitive performance.”
Researchers at the academy admit that there’s no clear connection between cannabis and academic performance, due to the infinite number of variables that affect cognitive brain development, they do suggest “this interference in cognitive function during the adolescent and emerging adult years, which overlap with the critical period in which many youth and young adults’ primary responsibility is to be receiving their education, could very well interfere with these individuals’ ability to optimally perform in school and other educational settings.”

But in teenager’s whose family has a history of mental illness, marijuana use could lead to a higher likelihood of that illness presenting itself. “We are seeing these kids develop schizophrenia at a younger age than their parents or other family members developed it,” Harris said. “Marijuana use seems to be a precipitating factor.”

The consensus seems to be that cannabis is use is fine, but only after you’re finished growing. “I don’t care who uses, or how often, if you’re over age 30,” said Harris. “But we’re seeing these critical developmental issues in people up to their mid-20s.”

LA Lady
The LA Lady covers cannabis culture from Southern California. Follow her on Twitter @the_LAlady. Email tips to marie@massroots.com.
 

810FireFarm

Active member
Considering how essential our Endocannabiniod System (ECS) , waiting until one is 25 to consume cannabis seems misguided.

The pool of test subjects seems to be biased towards individuals with deeper underlying issues.

"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Researchers at the academy admit that there’s no clear connection between cannabis and academic performance, due to the infinite number of variables that affect cognitive brain development,"
[/FONT]
 

HqFarms

Member
I call bs. There are no actually studies done. Maybe if cannabis ever gets reclassified I will believe these propaganda studies. Schedule 1 means no real testing. It's all hypotheses
 

Betterhaff

Active member
Veteran
It makes me wonder what I may have become if I hadn’t started smoking pot before I was teenager, lol. Smoked all thru high school and college. Then I got a good job and now I own my own business.

I would really like to see some hard numbers these researchers are getting/using and where they’re coming from for them to make these hypotheses. I don’t condone use by kids but in reality I used when I was young. It really didn’t create any problems other than the associated social stigma…and I was lucky I never ran afoul with the law.

Speaking of Facebook and not to go off topic too much, but has anybody seen the clips of toddlers trying to expand pictures in magazines? Some moms don’t seem to be too concerned about letting their little ones use pads.
 

THCengineer

Member
Starting age of marijuana use may have long-term effects on brain development

Starting age of marijuana use may have long-term effects on brain development

160210135334_1_540x360.jpg

These are divergent patterns in overlapping areas of anterior prefrontal cortex. Credit: Center for BrainHealth

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160210135334.htm
Starting age of marijuana use may have long-term effects on brain development
Date:February 10, 2016 Source:Center for BrainHealth

Summary:The age at which an adolescent begins using marijuana may affect typical brain development, according to researchers. Scientists describe how marijuana use, and the age at which use is initiated, may adversely alter brain structures that underlie higher order thinking.

The age at which an adolescent begins using marijuana may affect typical brain development, according to researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas. In a paper recently published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, scientists describe how marijuana use, and the age at which use is initiated, may adversely alter brain structures that underlie higher order thinking.

Findings show study participants who began using marijuana at the age of 16 or younger demonstrated brain variations that indicate arrested brain development in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for judgment, reasoning and complex thinking. Individuals who started using marijuana after age 16 showed the opposite effect and demonstrated signs of accelerated brain aging.

"Science has shown us that changes in the brain occurring during adolescence are complex. Our findings suggest that the timing of cannabis use can result in very disparate patterns of effects," explained Francesca Filbey, Ph.D., principal investigator and Bert Moore Chair of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the Center for BrainHealth. "Not only did age of use impact the brain changes but the amount of cannabis used also influenced the extent of altered brain maturation."

The research team analyzed MRI scans of 42 heavy marijuana users; twenty participants were categorized as early onset users with a mean age of 13.18 and 22 were labeled as late onset users with a mean age of 16.9. According to self-reports, all participants, ages 21-50, began using marijuana during adolescence and continued throughout adulthood, using cannabis at least one time per week.

According to Filbey, in typical adolescent brain development, the brain prunes neurons, which results in reduced cortical thickness and greater gray and white matter contrast. Typical pruning also leads to increased gyrification, which is the addition of wrinkles or folds on the brain's surface. However, in this study, MRI results reveal that the more marijuana early onset users consumed, the greater their cortical thickness, the less gray and white matter contrast, and the less intricate the gyrification, as compared to late onset users. These three indexes indicate that when participants began using marijuana before age 16, the extent of brain alteration was directly proportionate to the number of weekly marijuana use in years and grams consumed.

Contrastingly, those who began using marijuana after age 16 showed brain change that would normally manifest later in life: thinner cortical thickness, stronger gray and white matter contrast.

"In the early onset group, we found that how many times an individual uses and the amount of marijuana used strongly relates to the degree to which brain development does not follow the normal pruning pattern. The effects observed were above and beyond effects related to alcohol use and age. These findings are in line with the current literature that suggest that cannabis use during adolescence can have long-term consequences," said Filbey.

Filbey notes that a longitudinal study would be necessary to establish a causal relationship between brain alterations and marijuana use. Her future studies will explore cognitive and behavioral changes associated with structural brain change and consider the different patterns of development within the adolescent period and how these patterns could lead to non-linear effects.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Center for BrainHealth. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:


  1. Francesca M. Filbey, Tim McQueeny, Samuel J. DeWitt, Virendra Mishra. Preliminary findings demonstrating latent effects of early adolescent marijuana use onset on cortical architecture. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2015; 16: 16 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.10.001
  2. Center for BrainHealth. "Starting age of marijuana use may have long-term effects on brain development." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 February 2016. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160210135334.htm.

RELATED STORIES:


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150818142415.htm
Nicotine Changes Marijuana's Effect on the Brain


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141110161123.htm
Marijuana's Long-Term Effects on the Brain Demonstrated


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140415181156.htm
Brain Changes Associated With Casual Marijuana Use in Young Adults, Study Finds


db3.jpg

 
G

Gr33nSanta

how do you prove that a successful stoner would have been better of not smoking? the brain is far too complex, there are too many variables.
 

THCengineer

Member
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

p265.gif



cognitive-dissonance.jpg


COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort (psychological stress) experienced by a person when confronted with new information that contradicts said beliefs, ideals, and values.

Cognitive-dissonance is just one of many biases that work in our everyday lives. We don’t like to believe that we may be wrong, so we may limit our intake of new information or thinking about things in ways that don’t fit within our pre-existing beliefs. Psychologists call this “confirmation bias.”

We also don’t like to second-guess our choices, even if later they are proven wrong or unwise. By second-guessing ourselves, we suggest we may not be as wise or as right as we’ve led ourselves to believe. This may lead us to commit to a particular course of action and become insensitive to and reject alternative, perhaps better, courses that come to light. That’s why many people seek to avoid or minimize regret in their lives, and seek “closure” — imposing a definitive end to an event or relationship. It reduces the possibility of future cognitive dissonance.

Self-awareness seems to be a key to understanding how and when cognitive dissonance may play a role in your life. If you find yourself justifying or rationalizing decisions or behaviors that you’re not quite clear you firmly believe in, that might be a sign that cognitive dissonance is at work. If your explanation for something is, “Well, that’s the way I’ve always done it or thought about it,” that may also be a sign. Socrates extolled that “An unexamined life is not worth living.” In other words, challenge and be skeptical of such answers if you find yourself falling back on them.

A part of that self awareness that may help in dealing with cognitive dissonance is to examine the commitments and decisions we make in our lives. If the resolution of cognitive dissonance means that we move forward with a commitment and spring into action, making us feel better, maybe the dissonance was trying to tell us something. Maybe the decision or commitment wasn’t as right for us as we initially thought, even if it means overcoming our “no second-guessing” bias and making a different decision. Sometimes we’re just plain wrong. Admitting it, apologizing if need be, and moving forward can save us a lot of time, mental energy and hurt feelings.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
I'm sure the use of myrcene-heavy, stoned out of your gourd, indicas is detrimental to the speed of cognitive brain development. The use of quality sativas is another story completely. The use of CBD rich strains, with little to no high/stone, is something I'm sure they haven't studied at all.

Prohibition pressures have created a huge variety of non-functional cannabis strains.

News flash, reading studies produced by people who don't understand the subject can cause confusion and arrested development. Just don't do it. ;)
 

OldPhart

Member
This whole argument is absurd. We have one group of people that are going to believe that weed is straight up death, while the other group comes unhinged at the mention that there may be a downside to weed. Anyone ever think that the truth is somewhere in the middle, and the effects, both good and bad, will be different from one person to the next?

Do I believe that weed can cause developmental issues for some people, absolutely. I also believe that there are many other issues involved, such as the differences in people's mental make up, to the amount they use. If I had to advise someone if to smoke or not, I would suggest light/infrequent use (a joint or two on the weekends) no earlier than about 16, and heavy use no sooner than say 19-20.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort (psychological stress) experienced by a person when confronted with new information that contradicts said beliefs, ideals, and values.
A state of mind which is being frequently experienced by anti-cannabis researchers. :tiphat:
 

armedoldhippy

Well-known member
Veteran
A state of mind which is being frequently experienced by anti-cannabis researchers. :tiphat:

well, if you have a position you are trying to prove, you are not doing "research". that is what is known as "bullshit". a true scientist wants to know the FACTS, not try to twist mumbo-jumbo shit to make it look like he (or whoever is "sponsoring" his "research") was right all along.:tiphat:
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
well, if you have a position you are trying to prove, you are not doing "research". that is what is known as "bullshit". a true scientist wants to know the FACTS, not try to twist mumbo-jumbo shit to make it look like he (or whoever is "sponsoring" his "research") was right all along.:tiphat:
Unfortunately, a TRUE scientist is still human. A biased and self-deluding individual, slave to their previous programming. This is why it takes a full generation for new information to be accepted by the scientific community. Only those who are educated without the existing bias, are able to accurately compare the correct and incorrect information.

Humans... ain't they fun? lol :tiphat:
 

GSPfan

Member
Veteran
While some scientists may be true, science itself isn't the same as years past. The days are gone where a study was done and the unbias results were revealed. Now scientists are paid to find specific results which leads to many problems. And nothing can be 100% trusted when money is driving the results.
 

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top