Recreational marijuana use has increased in recent years due to the widespread belief that the substance is safe and legal in some instances. Longitudinal trends showing increasing concentrations of cannabinoids and other chemical constituents in marijuana are a significant cause for public health concern. As a result, more people than ever before are using cannabinoids. In the United States, marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance, and its use typically begins relatively early in life (DeShazo et al., 2019). While new research has raised awareness regarding the controversial effects of marijuana use, the repercussions for the long term are still ambiguous. It is crucial to review the effects for the public health implications of the widespread use of marijuana to be highlighted through educational campaigns. Memory difficulties, both functional and intermittent, decreased global neurocognition, structural abnormalities and worse verbal recall are among the most significant risks and impacts of marijuana use on cognition.
Acute marijuana consumption has been linked to a number of deficits that can have practical consequences on daily functioning. The observational findings show that marijuana has a distinct short-term impact on cognition, which includes a reduction in both working and episodic memory (Testai et al., 2022). Tolerance and co-use of other substances can diminish the immediate impacts of cannabinoids. On the other hand, the long-term effect of cannabis on intellect is less firmly proven. Consequences of cannabis use on neurocognition are reported to persist, according to multiple meta-analyses. As an example, it may have a detrimental effect on one’s ability to make decisions, acquire new information, remember it, and exercise brain control (Testai et al., 2022). Deterioration in verbal memory was found to be time-dependent, with longer histories of marijuana use being linked with worsening recall (Testai et al., 2022). General knowledge of how cannabis use affects brain health is by no means complete, but it is expanding quickly.
Chronic marijuana users, especially teenagers, have brains that are structurally different from those who never use the drug. Cannabis use was associated with deviations in white matter, grey matter, the nervous system, and the brain. Decreases in IQ and other indicators of cognitive ability have been observed in long-term users, and these changes appear irreversible in early users, according to the results of most but not all reports (DeShazo et al., 2019). Volume alterations in the cerebral cortex, prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, hypothalamus, and hippocampus are observed in cannabis smokers, with larger cortices in the left entorhinal cortex and slimmer temporal lobes and frontal lobes (DeShazo et al., 2019). Inadequate performance on activities testing focus, memory, cognitive speed, visuospatial working, and executive function can be traced back to these structural differences. As a result, it appears that brain imaging defects in adolescents who frequently consume marijuana correspond to the deviations observed in neuroimaging studies.
In conclusion, clinical studies have shown that long-term use of marijuana is linked with negative impacts on cognition that last for an extended period of time. Neuroscientists have been diligently combining various neurodiagnostic instruments with more recent scanning technologies in order to gain a better understanding of the connections that exist between the brain and the cannabinoid found in marijuana. Marijuana use is associated with several significant dangers and adverse effects on cognition, some of the most substantial of which include diminished functional and episodic memory, reduced global neurocognition, structural abnormalities, and poor verbal recollection. Since this is the case, it is reasonable to propose guidelines for marijuana use and explore social implications.
References
DeShazo, R. D., Parker, S. S., Williams, D. R., Ingram, J., ElSohly, M. A., Rodenmeyer, K., & McCullouch, K. (2019). Marijuana’s effects on brain structure and function: What do we know and what should we do? A brief review and commentary. The American Journal of Medicine, 132(3), 281–285. Web.
Testai, F. D., Gorelick, P. B., Aparicio, H. J., Filbey, F. M., Gonzalez, R. S., Gottesman, R. F., Melis, M., Piano, M. R., Rubino, T., & Song, S. (2022). Use of marijuana: Effect on brain health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Stroke, 53(4). Web.
