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Teen Cannabis Consumption Doesn’t Alter Adult Brain Structure

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap]ccording to the results of a new study, teen cannabis consumption “is not associated with structural brain differences in adulthood.”  Despite decades of worry that cannabis may alter brain structure in teens with developing brains, there is little evidence to support potential changes in brain structure over time. The study was published online last week and will appear in the September issue of the medical journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Research was led by Madeline Meier, who serves as director of Arizona State University’s Substance Use, Health and Behavior Lab.

Brains continue to develop until around age 25—which is why medical professionals routinely discourage teen cannabis consumption, as their brains are not fully developed. Furthermore, long-term studies on the effects of cannabis are rare, partly hampered by the limitations of studying the plant due to its federal status. One of the unique aspects of this particular study is the sheer length of time that data was collected, giving researchers the ability to observe long-term changes.

“Few studies have tested the hypothesis that adolescent cannabis users show structural brain alterations in adulthood,” researchers wrote. “The present study tested associations between prospectively-assessed trajectories of adolescent cannabis use and adult brain structure in a sample of boys followed to adulthood.”

In order to observe long-term effects, the study began clear back in the 1980s. Data was gathered from the Pittsburgh Youth Study, which examined self-reports of cannabis consumption habits  from 1,000 boys aged 13-19. “Boys in different trajectory subgroups did not differ on adult brain structure in any subcortical or cortical region of interest,” the researchers wrote.

Many years later, 181 of the boys were examined using structural neuroimaging when they reached the ages of 30-36.  “Adolescent cannabis use is not associated with structural brain differences in adulthood,” researchers added. “Even boys with the highest level of cannabis exposure in adolescence showed subcortical brain volumes and cortical brain volumes and thickness in adulthood that were similar to boys with almost no exposure to cannabis throughout adolescence.” Teenage cannabis consumption remains a touchy subject as it is a critical time when young adults plan their futures.

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