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Study Claims Marijuana Reshapes Brain Of Users
designntrend.com ^ | Aug, 27, 2014, 07:10 PM | Carrie Weisman ,

Posted on 08/30/2014 1:11:43 PM PDT by BenLurkin

The paper will be published Wednesday, August 27, 2014 in the Journal of Neuroscience.

... researchers used an MRI machine and the brains of 40 people between the ages of 18 and 25. They claim that the more marijuana a person smokes, the more those two neural regions get "damaged."

Dr. Hans Breiter, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, co-authored the study. He says, "Anytime you find there's a relationship to the amount of marijuana consumed and you see differences of core brain regions involved in processing of rewards, the making of decisions, the ability to assess emotions, that is a serious issue."

Co-senior author of the study, Anne Blood says, "There is this general perspective out there that using marijuana recreationally is not a problem - that it is a safe drug. We are seeing that this is not the case."

The research team included experts from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School helped reach their conclusion by comparing MRI images from the brains of 20 recreational pot smokers (who smoke around 11 joints per week) and the brains of 20 non-users. All 40 people fell into a similar demographic in terms of age, education level, personality, alcohol use and general anxiety levels.

Scientist measured two different regions in the brains of the marijuana users. They looked for differences in the sizes and shapes of their nucleus accumbens, which affects pleasure and reward, and their amygdalas, which handles emotional memory and the assessment of negative consequences. These areas in marijuana users were large than in those who did not smoke.

... "When we saw that there was a consistent abnormality and that it was directly related to the amount of cannabis one took in, it gave us some significant pause.

(Excerpt) Read more at designntrend.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: brain; brainswhatbrains; cannabis; marijuana; pot; pottribe; tribe; weed; wod
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To: Pox

Good luck and enjoy your smoking.


81 posted on 08/30/2014 7:11:15 PM PDT by detective
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To: Aurorales
Your right. I think it started with that college and his choices..... His dad is a retired colonel in the Air Force. He's a really good guy. He sold his properties in Fl and NE to got out of the city and bought 25 acres overlooking lake Oahe. He use to fish with his son a lot and hoped his son would come out fish, help him oversee the house that's being built.... Sometimes we think they hit rock bottom but he apparently hasn't. It's all in Gods hands.
82 posted on 08/30/2014 7:17:34 PM PDT by Linda Frances (Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.)
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To: detective

As I posted previously, I quit several year back in order to insure that I would not lose the lucrative job that I have at this time. I was never tested for drugs, except for when I served in the Army, until a few years ago and I decided my job security was more important than my recreational use of what I consider a harmless plant.

I am simply attempting to get across that your stereotype is not accurate and that the derision heaped upon pot smokers on this forum is not based upon entirely factual information.


83 posted on 08/30/2014 7:26:38 PM PDT by Pox (Good Night. I expect more respect tomorrow.)
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Comment #84 Removed by Moderator

To: huldah1776
No psych text book I have read so far has approved of Marijuana and all were written by liberals.

I doubt many have approved of tobacco or fatty foods, either.

Your point is....?

85 posted on 08/31/2014 3:22:47 AM PDT by Ken H
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To: dennisw
Idiots like you have no respect for our historic culture and religions because you think you are smarter.

Since when have nationwide prohibitions been part of American history?

Oh that's right, it was the Progressive Era. The same people who gave us the 16th and 17th Amendments, also gave us drug and alcohol prohibition.

86 posted on 08/31/2014 3:48:53 AM PDT by Ken H
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To: Ken H

You too are an a historical libertarian loon. You would legalize heroin.

Communists wanted to create the “new man”. So do libertarians with your gay marriage and drug legalization

=


87 posted on 08/31/2014 4:48:25 AM PDT by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: Ken H

ahistorical


88 posted on 08/31/2014 4:51:50 AM PDT by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: dennisw
You would legalize heroin.

Liar.

89 posted on 08/31/2014 4:55:28 AM PDT by Ken H
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To: Ken H

As my last sentence said, newer texts may be updated...to approve. APA could stand for Advance Pagan Agenda.


90 posted on 08/31/2014 5:50:20 AM PDT by huldah1776
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To: Ken H

hahahhahhaha.... I remember your legalize heroin posts from 8 years ago. We argued a bit. I remember one of your heroin pro-legalization arguments


91 posted on 08/31/2014 6:49:11 AM PDT by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: newnhdad

Apparently you thought you’d get to voice whatever opinion you want, and nobody would ask that you back it up. Well, welcome to the world.


92 posted on 08/31/2014 11:14:00 AM PDT by fr_freak
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To: dennisw

Wow, you went from my saying there is no reason alcohol is sacred to claiming that I have no respect for our culture or religions. You are quite the silly jackass. Hey, remember when the entire United States outlawed alcohol, at the constitutional level, no less? Were they all idiots who had no respect for our culture and religions? LOL


93 posted on 08/31/2014 11:19:50 AM PDT by fr_freak
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To: BenLurkin
The research team included experts from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School helped reach their conclusion by comparing MRI images from the brains of 20 recreational pot smokers (who smoke around 11 joints per week) and the brains of 20 non-users.

A more realistic study would have used people who smoke two to three small hits a day out of pipe, bong, or vaporizer, which collectively add up to about one joint a week. I don't know anyone who smokes joints, let alone eleven joints a week.

I would also like to know if any of the big pharmaceutical companies helped fund the study.

94 posted on 08/31/2014 11:28:42 AM PDT by Labyrinthos
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To: fr_freak

I’m right, you do like to argue for the sake of arguing..


95 posted on 08/31/2014 11:42:00 AM PDT by newnhdad (Our new motto: USA, it was fun while it lasted.)
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To: dennisw

IOW, you made a claim and now you can’t back it up.


96 posted on 08/31/2014 11:43:29 AM PDT by Ken H
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To: newnhdad

I’m thinking we’ve got a pot calling the kettle black situation here. At least I’ve made the effort to present a clear and rational argument.


97 posted on 08/31/2014 11:55:42 AM PDT by fr_freak
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
11 joints a week?

I agree. That's enough for an elephant these days.

The new recreational mj shop near here has a low potency strain for new users. Says they can take more than 3 or 4 tokes without getting totally zonked. Also has high potency versions with 30-40% THC. Says one toke is enough for anyone.

98 posted on 08/31/2014 12:19:17 PM PDT by steve86 ( Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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To: steve86

The high-potency products are in the form of a concentrate.


99 posted on 08/31/2014 12:24:03 PM PDT by steve86 ( Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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To: fr_freak

I don’t seem to understand. you want to legalize dope, I don’t. You seem to be okay with more legal intoxicants, I’m not. You assume anyone that disagrees with your world view is illogical. I don’t care what you think but you insist on pressing the issue, I still don’t give a blank.

It’s not any simpler than that. You won’t change my mind by insisting that your “argument” is “rational”. I just don’t care about your opinions.

End.

Please take your brand of cyberstalking insanity somewhere else.


100 posted on 08/31/2014 1:05:50 PM PDT by newnhdad (Our new motto: USA, it was fun while it lasted.)
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