The use of marijuana in the medical field is still controversial. While it may have some benefits on certain ailments, one latest study discovered that it can impair the ability of an individual to remember words.
The latest finding published on Live Science explains that long-term use of marijuana can adversely affect the verbal memory. This kind of memory refers to one's capacity to remember words. A pot user for years must not be surprised when out of the blue, he can no longer remember the proper word associated with a particular object or circumstance.
According to the study, in one out of two individuals, five years of smoking pot subtracts one word from a 15-word list, making the person only able to remember 14 out of every 15 words. This may be worrisome, but the study also showed that marijuana use does not affect other functions like cognitive and executive functions which refer to planning and focusing.
The study involved 5,000 adults in the 18 and 30 age groups. Follow-up visits were conducted where participants were asked if they used marijuana a month prior to the visit. During the 25-year follow up, they were given tests which evaluated their verbal memory, executive functions and processing speed.
Based on the results, the long-term use of marijuana led to poorer performance in the three tests. After which, upon the adjustment of certain factors, the researchers found that verbal memory was the most affected while the poor result in the other two cognitive skills attributing it to marijuana use might just have been due to chance.
Based also on previous studies, long-term marijuana use has been associated with poorer IQ. On the other hand, those who stopped or those who have not used it, had better IQs.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, long term effects of marijuana also include temporary hallucinations and paranoia, worsening schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts especially among teenagers. It is also considered addictive, as opposed to some advocates who tend to prove otherwise.
With the growing number of studies on the dire effects of marijuana, it is best to simply stay away from it. As the saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry.
