Marijuana Use Shrinks The Brain, Study Shows

In The Young Turks on YouTube by Hlarson4 Comments

 

“Long-term marijuana use appears to alter a person’s brain, causing one region associated with addiction to shrink and forcing the rest of the brain to work overtime to compensate, a new study reports.

MRI scans revealed that people who use pot for years have a smaller-than-usual orbitofrontal cortex, a region in the frontal lobes of the brain that is involved in decision-making and assessing the expected rewards or punishments of an action, said study author Francesca Filbey, from the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas.” *

Ben Mankiewicz (http://www.twitter.com/BenMank77; What The Flick?! & Turner Classic Movies) and Ana Kasparian (http://www.twitter.com/AnaKasparian) discuss.

*Read more here from http://www.philly.com/philly/health/mental-health/HealthDay693580_20141110_Chronic_Pot_Smoking_May_Alter_Brain__Study_Suggests.html

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Ebola Doc, Marijuana Study, Video Game Study & Lesbians – The Young Turks 11/11/2014 Social Commentary
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTpcK80irdQjs_i-JayfFxxZQhIrNekAA

Comments

  1. What is the harm ? it saying a shrinkage of the reward center, is that part of the brain developed naturally ? Is life of being taught do this and there is a reward a refleclection of this ? How much do we need that part of the brain as a grown adult ? My point is, where is the study that shows this shrinkage and greater connectivity to be a negative thing ??????

  2. I am really surprised at you guys. You largely misread the study.

    “The researchers found the orbitofrontal cortex was smaller in cannabis users, but there was more connectivity.”

    There is no evidence in this study that the orbitofrontal cortex suffered any loss of function; in fact it increased in connectivity which may mean more function.

    The was no evidence that other parts of the brain increase in size. No evidence of “over-compensation.”

    Maybe marijuana increased the efficiency of the orbitofrontal cortex so it didn’t need to be as big.

    Maybe the pot transformed the structure of the orbitofrontal cortex from “tube technology” to “transistor technology. Look at your Ipad. Is it dumber than an old room-sized computer?
    Read some more !!!
    http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/media-leaping-extremely-faulty-conclusions-study-effects-marijuana-brain

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