Study Suggests Underage Cannabis Consumption Alters Brain Connectivity

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A recent National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) study reported that cannabis could have an effect on brain connectivity when used by underage individuals.

The study, courtesy of the Human Connectome Project, showed that cannabis consumers in their teens might experience altering signals within the brain that control functions like working memory and inhibitory control. Although the study has yet to be published, results have already been formerly presented.

The study compared 30 regular cannabis consumers, ages 22 to 35, with 30 non-consumers in the same age group. The study defined “regular cannabis consumption” as having used cannabis over 1,000 times during the course of one’s life. The researchers claim that regular cannabis consumers were more likely to experience negative emotions and that the feelings were stronger for those who are younger and had started using cannabis.

The research states that researchers found a correlation between functional cognitive density, meaning the functions of the connections in the brain and cannabis use. Because they did not test for causation, those studying these connections were not able to determine if cannabis caused the negative emotions. However, younger cannabis consumers were more affected with functional cognitive density than those who started consuming at an older age.

Although this study suggests that there is evidence that teens should not be consuming cannabis, there are even more studies that believe that legalization and cannabis acceptance do not increase teen use. In fact, these taking away the “dangerous” element of illegal cannabis use actually makes teens less likely to try. As long as use is regulated, teens can be taught to wait to use cannabis until their brains are fully developed.

The preliminary study was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington D.C., which was held between  November 11 and November 15. According to Peter Manza of NIDA, the researchers are planning on publishing the study in a scientific journal sometimes in the near future.