Research from the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas (USA) has concluded that the effects of habitual and prolonged use of marijuana on the brain depend on two factors: both the age of use and the length of time this use continues . The consequences on the brain are equally alarming.
The work provides an exhaustive description of the long-term negative effects on the brain of marijuana users; Among others, anomalies in brain function and structure stand out, since there is a progressive degradation of structural connectivity, the wiring of the brain .
The research included the participation of 48 chronic marijuana users (with an average of three doses a day) and 62 non-user adults , with the same sex and age. Comparison of the results of multiple MRI brain scans from both groups revealed that marijuana users had lower brain volume in the orbifrontal cortex (related to addictions) and less brain connectivity than non-users.
“The data shows that the severity of utilization is directly correlated with increased connectivity. Although our study does not conclude whether some or all of the changes in the brain are a direct consequence of marijuana use, the effects suggest that these changes are related to the age of onset and duration of marijuana use, ”explains Francesca Filbey, leader of the study.
The work, which has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), finally suggests that brain connectivity appears to degrade with prolonged use of this drug .
