Mendocino Health and Human Services Department recently shared a study conducted by the University of Montreal and published in Development and Psychopathology, a Cambridge University Press journal.
The study discusses the serious impact of marijuana use on adolescent brain development. According to the study, youth who delayed marijuana use until at least 17 years old, significantly reduced their risk for long-term cognitive impacts.
Teens who smoke pot as early as 14 years old do worse by 20 points on some IQ tests and are more likely to drop out of school than non-smokers, confirms the study.
Prevention is especially important now, since marijuana is much more potent than it was in the 1990s, and because teenagers today view marijuana as much less harmful than other recreational drugs.
We have to be realistic and say, 'We are finding evidence that there are some negative effects related to cannabis use, especially if you start early, and so, if you can hold off as long as you can -- at least until you're 17 -- then it's less likely there'll be an impact on your brain.'"
Click here to read the full article, published in Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/r.../01/170125214606.htm
Cited Article - University of Montreal. "Delaying marijuana smoking to age 17 cuts risks to teens' brains, new study suggests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 January 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/.../01/170125214606.htm>.
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