Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Weed has become such an ordinary recreational activity these days that many people haven’t taken the time out to study it’s long term effects.
But according to new research, smoking cannabis ages the brain by an average of nearly three years. The New York Post reports:
“Marijuana was found to ramp up brain aging by 2.8 years making it worse for your mind than bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Schizophrenics’ brains were found to age by an even greater average of four years. Brain aging is defined as reduced blood flow through the organ.”
Researches have also concluded that reduced brain blood flow has been linked to strokes and dementia. However, surprisingly, No link was found between depression and brain aging.
Dr. Daniel Amen, founder of Amen Clinics, said of the study, “The cannabis abuse finding was especially important, as our culture is starting to see marijuana as an innocuous substance. This study should give us pause about it.”
Here’s how the study went down:
“Scans were collected during both rest and concentration and taken from people aged between nine months and 105 years old to determine factors that contribute to brain aging. Researchers analyzed the blood flow through 128 regions of each brain to determine how old they thought the individual was. Once they learned the person’s actual age, they were able to measure the rate of accelerated aging. Results showed that bipolar disorder accelerates brain aging by 1.6 years, with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) speeding it up by 1.4 years.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean weed is harmful. Just maybe not in large quantities over a period of time. But before you through the ganja away for good, check out our weed playlist below for all the stoners out there.
Smoking Weed Ages Your Brain By 3 Years According To This Study was originally published on globalgrind.com
