"Long-term Cannabis Users May Have Structural Brain Abnormalities"

[Chrono]

Journal reference:

Murat Yucel; Nadia Solowij; Colleen Respondek; Sarah Whittle; Alex Fornito; Christos Pantelis; Dan I. Lubman. Regional Brain Abnormalities Associated With Long-term Heavy Cannabis Use. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2008;65(6):694-701 [link]
Adapted from materials provided by JAMA and Archives Journals.

Posted on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602160845.htm


Conflicting evidence exists regarding the long-term effects of cannabis use, according to background information in the article. "Although growing literature suggests that long-term cannabis use is associated with a wide range of adverse health consequences, many people in the community, as well as cannabis users themselves, believe that cannabis is relatively harmless and should be legally available," the authors write. "With nearly 15 million Americans using cannabis in a given month, 3.4 million using cannabis daily for 12 months or more and 2.1 million commencing use every year, there is a clear need to conduct robust investigations that elucidate the long-term sequelae of long-term cannabis use."

Murat Yücel, Ph.D., M.A.P.S., of ORYGEN Research Centre and the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues from the University of Wollongong performed high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging on 15 men (average age 39.8 years) who smoked more than five joints daily for more than 10 years. Their results were then compared with images from 16 individuals (average age 36.4) who were not cannabis users. All participants also took a verbal memory test and were assessed for subthreshold (below the standard of disease diagnosis) symptoms of psychotic disorders, which include schizophrenia and mania.

The hippocampus, thought to regulate emotion and memory, and the amygdala, involved with fear and aggression, tended to be smaller in cannabis users than in controls (volume was reduced by an average of 12 percent in the hippocampus and 7.1 percent in the amygdala). Cannabis use also was associated with sub-threshold symptoms of psychotic disorders. "Although cannabis users performed significantly worse than controls on verbal learning, this did not correlate with regional brain volumes in either group," the authors write.

"There is ongoing controversy concerning the long-term effects of cannabis on the brain," the authors write. "These findings challenge the widespread perception of cannabis as having limited or no neuroanatomical sequelae. Although modest use may not lead to significant neurotoxic effects, these results suggest that heavy daily use might indeed be toxic to human brain tissue. Further prospective, longitudinal research is required to determine the degree and mechanisms of long-term cannabis-related harm and the time course of neuronal recovery after abstinence."



Keep in note that this study was made from 10 years plus of 10 joints or more a day of usage. I still think it is much safer than Alcohol use of the same dosage, or even half the dosage.. but it is good information to have if you are a chronic user and notice a lack of emotion, memory (12% decrease in area of brain thought to contain these factors) and aggression, fear (7.1% decrease in area of brain thought to contain these factors).

 

[KurtisRich]

shieeeeeeeeeeeT!!



lol

 

[Kontents]

And Cigarettes do what? OH! thats right Cigarettes are toxic but taxable. Thats right.

 

[Chrono]

if i had a connection I would have me a sack right now! I had to quit because my lost best-friend from 89' was spikin mine with crack and I quit a year ago.. some of those nights you see me all drunk and fucked up is because I don't know how to drink without herbals.. I'd smoke if I had a safe place to buy from no problem and leave alcohol in the murky distace. But the goverment illegaled it's-ass in America on some hispanic racist shit decades ago to lock up histanic minorities... in the AMERICAN WAY

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins.. and the American motto is "I'm Proud to Be an American".. so you gotta ask yourself who's really running shit and what agenda they follow.. the fear mongers don't want you smoking cannabis because you are less fearful and then they will lose their fuckin grip on the society they herd like sheep. 1+5=6 it's simple mathimatics and stragetgy in an advanced level to rule the world and enslave the rest to serve the children of these fucked up psychopaths.

 

[God]

Hey - has anyone done a study if you drink ten bottles of beer a day - what happens to you?

Fucking hypocrites.

 

[KurtisRich]

How about drinking every single weekend since the age of 18..... and now i'm 27

 

[Chrono]

How about drinking every single weekend since the age of 18..... and now i'm 27

hahaha word! i'd also be interested in those results

Hey - has anyone done a study if you drink ten bottles of beer a day - what happens to you?

Fucking hypocrites.

keep in mind this is scientific research and not propaganda. these results and procedures are published and can be challenged. if they are challenged then the primary investigators (PhD's) will los much credibility. if the hippocampus and amygdala are 12% and 7.1% (respectively) reduced from normal brains, out of 31 men (15 noncannibis/16cannibis), then this is a greatly "Controlled" experiment.

I'm am not sure if you are calling me a hipocrite for posting this or JAMA for publishing these doctors multi-international research.

Observing the reality though, alcohol is much worse of a drug PERIOD. When I blackout I have been known to walk around naked and piss into outlets...... weed does not do this.. and BTW way that has not happened in a very long time.

 

[Sincock]

keep in mind this is scientific research and not propaganda. these results and procedures are published and can be challenged. if they are challenged then the primary investigators (PhD's) will los much credibility. if the hippocampus and amygdala are 12% and 7.1% (respectively) reduced from normal brains, out of 31 men (15 noncannibis/16cannibis), then this is a greatly "Controlled" experiment.

I'm am not sure if you are calling me a hipocrite for posting this or JAMA for publishing these doctors multi-international research.

Observing the reality though, alcohol is much worse of a drug PERIOD. When I blackout I have been known to walk around naked and piss into outlets...... weed does not do this.. and BTW way that has not happened in a very long time.

Scientific research is propaganda.

There's so many ways research like this could be flawed. Without looking at the report in detail and making an attempt to replicate those results there's no way of knowing whether those figures have been smudged, exaggerated or even falsified. there's also the question of what other factors in the subject's lives could contribute to those results. So many variables. Don't believe everything you read even if it comes in the guise of scientific credibility.

Personally my gut feeling is that it's bollocks.

 

[The Mastermind]

I heard this on the news yesterday. It was immediately criticised for the small sample population. 15 users is not a lot of people. The experiment has some validity but can't really be taken as confirmation until it has been repeated.

Other factors could be the cause of the differences. For example, did the pot users drink more booze or experiment more with other drugs? Too many coincidences can creep in with such a small group.

For that matter, what kinds of natural variations are there in brain size? I don't assume we all have the same sized brains in the first place.

Having the hippocampus at 12% smaller sounds pretty fucking scary. That's a hell of a lot of smaller.

The shrinkage in the area of the brain that regulates aggression and fear is kind of weird. I mean pot heads are renowned for their paranoia but are hardly considered an aggressive bunch.

 

[Chrono]

In my opinion 31 people, 16 users 15 nonusers, is not a small experimental number at all. It should be repeated and critized by everyone from the scientific community to you, then have more tests to determine quality of data. This is not a goverment operated experiment and will most likely be repeated because of the number of users of herbal in the states and questions of legalization that will arise in our near future. Regardless, I hope it is legalized because alcohol/ciggs are much more hazardous and sinister.

The "other factors" are also a very good point. Also, are the pot experimental groups using the minds in an intensive way like a music producer does? Are the control non-users computer engineers or videogame wizards? so many, many many factors to consider. I did not post this to scare anyone but instead to deliver the information to see.. it doesn't scare me but it is good to be aware of while considering the quality of the data has too many variablities.. although the genereal "vague" information from 31 controls/experimentals is worthy of a note.

Will the channel8news, your wife/mom, or whoever try to use this info to scare you and further label pot as an evil?? absolutely.

Also, everyone has different sized brains but all of the areas are porportionally the same to itself. So they are getting these percentages from observing the different areas of the same brain as opposed to subject 7 hippocampus to subject 8's.

I heard this on the news yesterday. It was immediately criticised for the small sample population. 15 users is not a lot of people. The experiment has some validity but can't really be taken as confirmation until it has been repeated.

Other factors could be the cause of the differences. For example, did the pot users drink more booze or experiment more with other drugs? Too many coincidences can creep in with such a small group.

For that matter, what kinds of natural variations are there in brain size? I don't assume we all have the same sized brains in the first place.

Having the hippocampus at 12% smaller sounds pretty fucking scary. That's a hell of a lot of smaller.

The shrinkage in the area of the brain that regulates aggression and fear is kind of weird. I mean pot heads are renowned for their paranoia but are hardly considered an aggressive bunch.

 

[Lazy Eyes]

It is when it's qualitative research, even 25 people is long enough if you have long conversations with the subjects ( longer than 1 hour )...

 

[The Mastermind]

The size of the sample population was a criticism raised by other Australian scientists.

I'd have to agree with that because of the potential for statistical anomalies. For example, perhaps most of the pot smokers had just happened to have taken a lot of speed at one stage which harmed their brains or the non users all eat fish four times a week which has benefitted their brains. The larger the sample population the less chance for these coincidences to skew the research.

I'm not saying that speed or fish have those effects just pointing out that the smaller your sample population the more potential for these kinds of coincidences to occur.

For all I know they asked the participants about their previous drinking or drug abuse.

 

[God]

keep in mind this is scientific research and not propaganda. these results and procedures are published and can be challenged. if they are challenged then the primary investigators (PhD's) will los much credibility. if the hippocampus and amygdala are 12% and 7.1% (respectively) reduced from normal brains, out of 31 men (15 noncannibis/16cannibis), then this is a greatly "Controlled" experiment.

I'm am not sure if you are calling me a hipocrite for posting this or JAMA for publishing these doctors multi-international research.

Observing the reality though, alcohol is much worse of a drug PERIOD. When I blackout I have been known to walk around naked and piss into outlets...... weed does not do this.. and BTW way that has not happened in a very long time.

I'm not calling you a hypocrite.

If weed is so bad - then why not ban alcohol? Alcohol is technically worse.

"Studies" are sometimes bullshit dude, they can be done by some front group that's paid by an industry.

Truman Capote died because his entire brain shrunk - cuz he was an alcoholic. Why don't they do studies on alcohol and brain shrinkage?

 

[2GooD Productions]

Scientific research is propaganda.

Word.

Alcohol is a much more harmful substance to the human body, but yet that is legal.
I have heard a rumour that a big reason why cannabis is banned is because of the dupont family and the chemical industry.
Because of man made fibres being used instead of naturally occuring fibres like cannabis.
The cannabis plant is an amazing plant, with so many uses other than just getting high.
Oh yeah thats right, the DuPont family is one of the 13 Illuminati families, must be just a coincidence.

Another reason for the illegalisation of cannabis is due to the peace revolution in the 60's, I personally think that the governments saw thousands of people gathering in fields celebrating peace and not war as too controversial, as they like us to do what they say not what we want to do.

 

[Formant024]

...they cant tax weed, thats all there is to it...the potential tax is delivered to those who provide weed.

We get this "news" here all the time, studies that proove its bad for you, shrinks your brain etc and basically yeah thats true..if youre a smoking couch potato. If/when intoxicated by weed and not having any mental stimulation (creative or mentally challinging), you neural network abands of connections, losing response of synapsis and these connections wont grow back (simply put, its not being used therefor disposed in time). You can understand that when you are mentally occupied and smoking that these connections are still being used, so if you're lazy (no not you) and you smoke than chances are you gain stupid in the end, but most likely, you partly stupid already (lol) or depressed.

From a medical point of view i understand the social concern but its killing symptoms, not root cause. Dont forget that cultures have been using/smoking herbs for centuries for medical and meditational use untill western civilization discovered it and used it for leisure or status, then dominated the world and convicted users equal to criminals. In a healty view of life you would state that no-one in his rightfull mind would be abusing himself by taking drugs, so "perhaps" there is a social conditions apart from status which make people abuse themselves (as the drugs clearly wont work for them). These people need help and probably needed help before they even started doing drugs, these people would more likely turn to alcohol as its more widespread available since its not illegal, but moreover...taxed. Anyway, there's more to it than just smoking weed, same for smoking tobacco, that used to be a lot healthier some 100 years ago lol.

oh and btw, who puts out this news? Reuters? (them and dupont, bilderberg, those are the real criminals)

 

[Chrono]

I'm not calling you a hypocrite.

If weed is so bad - then why not ban alcohol? Alcohol is technically worse.

"Studies" are sometimes bullshit dude, they can be done by some front group that's paid by an industry.

Truman Capote died because his entire brain shrunk - cuz he was an alcoholic. Why don't they do studies on alcohol and brain shrinkage?

Of course I completely agree with Alcohol being much worse for the user as well as general societies, families, and child abuse. The only problem is taking something that is a part of society is not going to happen without it going seriously underground, creating more crime in the process.

I also admit that I was blind to the reality that research that have political implications are free game for those scientists who have been trying to get funding for years and failed. PhD's who make 30-40k doing BS work after 5 years post-grad work and then suddenly get offered a huge grant with "certain" "desired" results.

oh and btw, who puts out this news? Reuters? (them and dupont, bilderberg, those are the real criminals)

it was journel of the american medial association, although the publisher doesn't 'matter' as much as the research group and their pure or procured motives.