Cannabis users' brains can repair themselves: study

[rahli]

New research shows how the brains of chronic cannabis users become less efficient than the brains of people who do not use the drug.

The University of Wollongong study also shows that over time the drug users' brains adapt and almost come back up to speed.

But experts say the study shows more evidence that cannabis should not be regarded as a soft drug.

The study shows the main psycho-active ingredient in cannabis, THC, lingers in the body for weeks, meaning that the brains of frequent users could be constantly exposed to the chemical.

University of Wollongong clinical psychologist Robert Battista says lingering effects of THC mean users' brains have to work harder to do the same tasks as people who do not use cannabis

"It is kind of like if you are driving your car down a freeway and the freeway is the most efficient neural pathway ... [cannabis users might find] the road has potholes or there is fog so that it is more effortful, more resources have to go into doing that same task," he said.

Mr Battista says for the study he asked cannabis users to perform tasks testing their memory, inhibition and attention.

He says long-term cannabis users surprisingly performed better at some tasks than newer users.

"During the process of the brain reorganising itself over an extended period of time, it looked like that long-term cannabis users were actually getting some recovery of their memory function with a longer history of use," he said.

"It is essentially the brain going: 'Okay, well these old pathways that we would prefer to use we can't because they have been disrupted so we'll have to use these other ones and we'll get better and better at using them.'"

But Curtin University National Drug Research Institute professor, Simon Lenton, says cannabis users should not get complacent.

He says many studies have been trying to establish if users can restore their cognitive functions over time.

"The picture is mixed. Some studies suggest that functioning does improve after a period of abstinence and for others ... it looks like it doesn't," he said.

"I think we are still at early days in terms of not only understanding the impact of cannabis on the brain, but also understanding the longer-term impacts and what happens when people stop using cannabis."

Professor Lenton says the new research is one of a number of studies to emerge over the past 10 years showing cognitive problems for chronic cannabis users.

He says the message does seem to be getting through that the drug is harmful, as cannabis use has been declining in Australia since the mid 1990s.

Link

[vual]

Thanks Wollongong Uni.. and i was clinging to my chair thinking Oz would follow suit with other countries.... then they go and release something like this.. contradiction, the study probably is doing more harm to cannabis laws then good.

Edited June 11, 2010 by vual

[Bread Filter]

Thanks for that link rahli. Very interesting.

"It is essentially the brain going: 'Okay, well these old pathways that we would prefer to use we can't because they have been disrupted so we'll have to use these other ones and we'll get better and better at using them.'"

 

I particularly like this line and can totally relate to it

[ref1ect1ons]

Settle-down vual, this was for heavy cannabis users. There is still no-reason why cannabis should not be allowed to be used recreationally. Could you imagine trying to pass a university course consuming a similar amount of alcohol. Surely not, this study has little to say about the legality of cannabis or recrearional use.

[vual]

Sorry reflections? i should think more before i type? Seems more real to say it how it feels 0_o, apologies.

Could you imagine trying to pass a university course consuming a similar amount of alcohol.

 

Very true on that... and good for the people who want to use it "recreationaly" but what about the people that use it daily medically(heavy), When I speak about the "legalization" of mj I am always speaking from a medical stance not recreational for that is what the world is leaning towards, and if we as Australia were to follow in suit its most likely that it would be medical mj not recreational.

I would have to say a heavy smoker could pass uni if they put the mind to it, could tell you copious successful FOAF stories as I am sure theres just as many uni dropout dopehead FOAF failure stores.

Would be interesting to see the numbers on the study, should be a pdf with more details released from the uni soon?

Its defiantly a interesting article, cheers for posting it.

Edited June 11, 2010 by vual

[rahli]

The way I read it your better off being a long term user then a recreational user.

"The study shows the main psycho-active ingredient in cannabis, THC, lingers in the body for weeks, meaning that the brains of frequent users could be constantly exposed to the chemical". -

So even recreational users would be highly exposed to THC.

"He says long-term cannabis users surprisingly performed better at some tasks than newer users".

So newer users are getting more negative cognitive effects then chronic users.

But I guess it depends on how they define a new user. I doubt they would be smoking as much as long term users?? but may be as often?? and do they classify themselves as recreational users?? or heavy new users??

[vual]

ahh rahil that makes sense i see what you mean, Since its in your brain for weeks anyway if you smoke recreational then smoking medical or longterm is no different chemical/brain wise.

If it stays in your brain for weeks then using it once every few weeks would cause the same damage as everyday. Interesting article a few ways to look at it from.

Edited June 11, 2010 by vual

[Bread Filter]

"He says long-term cannabis users surprisingly performed better at some tasks than newer users".

So newer users are getting more negative cognitive effects then chronic users.

 

I took that to mean that all day smokers don't really get "stoned" whereas the effects on a lightweight user are much more like a narcotic high; therefore harder to maintain higher levels of thought for the lightweights.

Edited June 11, 2010 by Bread Filter

[SunChaser]

What the study is saying (heavy smokers can handle there herb better than casual smokers) is not only basically the same for all drugs (except for the time frame) but obvious and actually quite meaningless.

From the eye catching propaganda style of the heading (cannabis doesn't damage the brain) it's clear that this is just some BS someone write up to get some grant money.

[nabraxas]

it's clear that this is just some BS someone write up to get some grant money.

yeah more ov that conspiracy ov science bullshit...bastards...

The University of Wollongong study also shows that over time the drug users' brains adapt and almost come back up to speed.

isn't that what neuroplasticity is all about?

http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2009/04/16/2544377.htm

[ThunderIdeal]

i interpreted it like this:

chronic users have cognitive difficulties. after an extended period as a chronic user (doesn't say how long, maybe a year, maybe thirty years?) some of the cognitive difficulties have been overcome.

sure thc may be present in the brain for weeks after a single smoke, but only in small amounts. i think any suggestion that very moderate use (eg once a month) will ruin your brain function in any serious way is false. i also think any suggestion that very heavy use (20 plus cones a day, year in year out) will not alter your brain function in a serious way is false. its a mind altering substance, and many of us have experienced what it can do, particularly to memory. fucked memory is what i think of as a cognitive bottleneck, your brain like your PC is only as fast as its slowest component.

[SunChaser]

I never said I had a problem with what the study was saying, just the propaganda style of the wording.

Also nabraxas, are you trying to say people who study cannabinoids lie when they openly admit that it's common practice to write a paper on cannabis that supports government policy to get a grant?

[psili sausage]

IMO, even though smoking mj once a month will result in THC constantly being in your system, a tollerance develops so that the lingering low levels have little effect on the receptors in the CNS.

THC tollerance develops and diminishes relatively quickly, so regular users' brains can tollerate the higher THC concentrations while regaining some cognitive function that may have been lost.

Irregular smokers would get more "stoned" but probably don't use enough to cause significant cognitive deficits, but "new heavy smokers" would be the most affected probably due to short term memory loss and lack of focus.

Of course it's not so black and white, and it's hard to get these studies to give definitive results when subjects are grouped according to how much pot they think they smoke... I mean do they take into account how much they go through in a week and whether it was bush or hydro? How do they smoke it? Do they live active lives? Do they use their brain on a regular basis? I just think that with the amount of variables there's sure to be in this area of study, you would need an enormous population to work with if you want accurate, meaningful results...

[SunChaser]

Of course it's not so black and white, and it's hard to get these studies to give definitive results when subjects are grouped according to how much pot they think they smoke... I mean do they take into account how much they go through in a week and whether it was bush or hydro? How do they smoke it? Do they live active lives? Do they use their brain on a regular basis? I just think that with the amount of variables there's sure to be in this area of study, you would need an enormous population to work with if you want accurate, meaningful results...

 

exactly, this is one of the reasons most of these studies are flawed. They usually ask them how much they smoke in terms of joints. Now I've been smoking heavierly for 15 years and could never give any kind of accurate estimate for how much joints I go though. Never smoke joints and never weighed what I put in when rolling one for someone, so I'd be completely guessing how much even goes in a joint.

On top of that I can honestly say that I'm the only person I know of that is a heavy cannabis smoker and doesn't regularly use other drugs. I do know a few people that have clearly screwed there brain. They sit there telling me about how its the cannabis that did it well they sip there bourban and coke at 10am in the morning!

There was even a study in the UK a little while ago that tried to seperate people who smoke "skunk" from the people who smoke other strains. So there basically asking people if they get the best weed (which is what skunk means in England). Which everyone thinks they do!

Until cannabis is made legal the government will never have any real idea of how much is actually being consumed, it's average potency or of the effects the use of cannabis has on society.

[botanika]

The way I read it your better off being a long term user then a recreational user.

 

Better perhaps as far as brain efficiency, but long term smoking will lead towards increased chances of developing cancer. For long term smokers the big issue is not mental health but physical health.

[rahli]

Better perhaps as far as brain efficiency, but long term smoking will lead towards increased chances of developing cancer. For long term smokers the big issue is not mental health but physical health.

 

Yes I agree. Good point.

[psili sausage]

yes and if we were able to grow our own, it wouldn't seem so wasteful to cook with the shit.

[Distracted]

I find my skills are increasing daily through the aid of chronic cannabis abuse.

When I first started I was having extreme difficulty sinking a bong or even pulling the lighter into the cone without sucking all the mull into the bong, but day by day my cognitive pathways were built up until they're as strong as a hemp rope! Now I am a pure pro and have all the skills. If only I could remember where my stash was

This thread reminds me of The Tetris Effect where very basically if your brain uses the same route to work something out enough times, it gets stronger and eventually the brain automatically follows that route.

Good article.

[ThunderIdeal]

:applause:

glorifying bong-smoking

[fishstix]

[devance]

The University of Wollongong study also shows that over time the drug users' brains adapt and almost come back up to speed.

But experts say the study shows more evidence that cannabis should not be regarded as a soft drug.

say what, i don't my brain come what coming up to speed

[rahli]

say what, i don't my brain come what coming up to speed

 

Never fear!!

[ayjay101]

How can this possibly prove anything when it doesn't take into account the personal history of the subjects?

The fact that some chronic canna users outperformed some lighter ones is completely meaningless. They are separate brains and have potentially very different capacities regardless of any drug use.

By choosing your subjects carefully, you could arrive at any conclusion you want.

EDIT: For example, lets compare heavy canna users in a memory tests against alzheimers patients. Result: some heavy canna users peform better in the test. Conclusion: cannabis users' brains must obviously repair themselves from any damage caused by the habit or even worse - cannabis isa safeguard against alzheimers disease....

Either the study here is flawed or the reporting is...

Edited July 2, 2010 by ayjay101

[devance]

if the kang start eat the cannabis crop.

Just let, they might sleep well at night.

[mutant]

Interesting article and talk!

Now I understand some things I think.