Do these symptoms apply to anyone special?

[CG6468]

Marijuana shrinks parts of the brain, MRI study

People who use marijuana for a long time can develop abnormalities in their brains, Australian researchers report.

Although growing literature suggests long-term marijuana use is associated with a wide range of adverse health consequences, many people believe it is relatively harmless and should be legalised, the researchers noted. "However, this study shows long-term, heavy cannabis use causes significant brain injury, memory loss, difficulties learning new information and psychotic symptoms, such as delusions of persecution [paranoia], delusions of mind-reading, and bizarre social behaviours in even non-vulnerable users," said lead researcher Murat Yucel, from the ORYGEN Research Centre and the Neuropsychiatry Centre at the University of Melbourne.

This new evidence plays an important role in further understanding the effects of marijuana and its impact on brain functioning, Yucel said. "The study is the first to show that long-term cannabis use can adversely affect all users, not just those in the high-risk categories such as the young, or those susceptible to mental illness, as previously thought," he said. The report was published in the June issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

In the study, Yucel's team did high-resolution MRIs on 15 men who smoked more than five joints a day for more than 10 years. They compared those with scans of 16 men who did not use marijuana. In addition, all the men took verbal memory tests and were examined for symptoms of psychiatric disorders. "The more marijuana used, the more these individuals were likely to show reduced brain volumes in the hippocampus and amygdala, as well as being more likely to develop symptoms of psychotic disorders and to have significant memory impairment," Yucel said.

This just MAY apply to........

[vesta111]

Dumb report, ------booze, tobacco, injury's genetics and medial prescriptions can make changes in the brain.

This study as done on people that smoked pot 5 times a day, good grief they must have found these people at a weight watchers clinic for those over 500 pounds.  Screw the cost for the pot, where did they get the money to buy food for the constant Munchies??

So they find some abnormal folks, do a study on them and find brain changes, wow good job, who would of thought, wonder what government gave the Scientists a $250,000 grant to come up with these findings???

[Kryder]

Dumb report, ------booze, tobacco, injury's genetics and medial prescriptions can make changes in the brain.

This study as done on people that smoked pot 5 times a day, good grief they must have found these people at a weight watchers clinic for those over 500 pounds.  Screw the cost for the pot, where did they get the money to buy food for the constant Munchies??

So they find some abnormal folks, do a study on them and find brain changes, wow good job, who would of thought, wonder what government gave the Scientists a $250,000 grant to come up with these findings???

I agree, the damage done by alcohol is probably much worse.. I know stoners of this ilk, and yes they are slow, but if you ever met someone with "wet brain" you see the the effects of years of alcholism.  Add that to the fact that drivers under the influence of alcohol are much more impaired to drive than drivers who are stoned.  And yes that's been researched, but I'm stoned to remember where

[RonBush]

There are two very different questions here.  Is marijuana harmful and should it be legal.  I think it is definitely very harmful, just like alcohol and tobacco.   I still think it should be legal, just like alcohol and tobacco.

I don't drink, smoke or take drugs.  I think all these things are unhealthy and destructive.  If I could somehow magically eliminate all of these from the earth I would do it.  It would make the world a better place.  The point is that I don't have that magical power.  The actual reality of the situation is that we can't stop these things and our attempt to stop them has done more harm than good.

[Kryder]

If the basis for the post was to simply just describe the destructive capabilities of pot than that's fine - I normally do my medical research on other websites.  As it pertains to a political forum however, describing the effects of pot creates the perception that the intent of the OP was to show that it's justified being illegal.  The truth is that people are going to smoke whether they want to or not, and will pay those aforementioned consequences.  The government can see this logic, and realize spending money to limit its use is good money after bad and just legalize and tax it's consumption.  That, prostitution, online gambling, are all very lucrative tax ventures for the government, but instead of seeing that, we decide to spend money to reducing it even if that money is pale in comparison of what it would realy take to actually affect it's use. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

This just MAY apply to........

Sounds like the DUmmies.  And perhaps vesta.

[vesta111]

Sounds like the DUmmies.  And perhaps vesta.

WASS the matter for you,----Hell of a way to speak to a little old lady.

Even if you were a South Western Toad, there is no way I would lick you even for a cure from Cancer.

Get with the times and open your eyes to what the drug companys are do to us.    They are turning us into Zombies, just in case you own a TV, watch the drug comercials that at the end of what they can do for you ends with a warning of sucide, blindness stroak and heart attack.

Why do you think millions of people are going into Natural health care????

BTW do you have any idea what happens to a person on antidepressents if they are forced to go off for a few days, ask around.

[Eupher]

WASS the matter for you,----Hell of a way to speak to a little old lady.

Even if you were a South Western Toad, there is no way I would lick you even for a cure from Cancer.

Get with the times and open your eyes to what the drug companys are do to us.    They are turning us into Zombies, just in case you own a TV, watch the drug comercials that at the end of what they can do for you ends with a warning of sucide, blindness stroak and heart attack.

Why do you think millions of people are going into Natural health care????

BTW do you have any idea what happens to a person on antidepressents if they are forced to go off for a few days, ask around.

So, vesta, what's your favorite? Acapulco Gold? Maui Wowie? White Widow? I'll bet it's that one. It's pretty strong stuff, I hear.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Why do you think millions of people are going into Natural health care????

Witch doctor shortage?

[vesta111]

So, vesta, what's your favorite? Acapulco Gold? Maui Wowie? White Widow? I'll bet it's that one. It's pretty strong stuff, I hear.

What the heck is white widow ????

[Eupher]

What the heck is white widow ????

 

wanna toke?

[Evil_Conservative]

WASS the matter for you,----Hell of a way to speak to a little old lady.

Even if you were a South Western Toad, there is no way I would lick you even for a cure from Cancer.

Get with the times and open your eyes to what the drug companys are do to us.    They are turning us into Zombies, just in case you own a TV, watch the drug comercials that at the end of what they can do for you ends with a warning of sucide, blindness stroak and heart attack.

Why do you think millions of people are going into Natural health care????

BTW do you have any idea what happens to a person on antidepressents if they are forced to go off for a few days, ask around.

Those side effects always make me laugh.  But then I remember it's mostly all DUmmies who take those pills, so "thoughts of suicide" or "suicide" is no big deal.