Smoking Marijuana Early in Life Can Affect Brain Development, Study Reveals

A recent study has revealed that using marijuana early may have an effect on the developing brain. The study also showed that those who start using marijuana during their teenage years will end up having a different-looking brain than those who start using it later in their lives.

Researchers explained that marijuana use can alter the physical development of a young person's brain. It stops the body's natural process to eliminate unnecessary neurons and synaptic connections.

According to Newsmax, Francesca Filbey, the lead author of the study and the chair of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas' Center for BrainHealth explained that the brain of those who started smoking pot early (16 years old and younger) have fewer surface wrinkles and folds in the outer part of the brain, also known as the cerebral cortex. The cortex was also found to be thicker which suggests that it was not fully developed.

The research team, however, is still trying to figure out the direct relationship of difference in brain development and the early use of marijuana. "It could be that perhaps having these altered brain patterns is what led to the greater marijuana use," Filbey said. She added saying that the difference may be caused by marijuana's effect on the levels of dopamine in the brain, which can affect how the cerebral cortex develops.

US News reported that the team examined MRI scans of 42 heavy marijuana users, 20 of those are considered "early onset" since they started using before the age of 16. The volunteers of the study said they started using pot during their teens until adulthood, and use it at least once a week.

The researchers also explained that the more a person uses marijuana, the more their brain development is affected. The result of their investigation also showed that there is a profound difference between those who used marijuana early in their lives and those who started using it later.