Is the following statement FACT or CRAP?
2. Marijuana can’t lower your intelligence.
Answer: CRAP
Heavy marijuana exposure starting in adolescence predicts an 8-point drop in IQ. Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife https://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1206820109
For some time now, scientists and medical professionals have known that persistent marijuana use over long periods of time harms the brain in a variety of ways. In the decades before, they had extensively studied the possibility that some of the issues observed in chronic marijuana users—paranoia, schizophrenia, psychotic breaks, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and more—were either caused by something else, or were existing conditions that had driven users to try marijuana in the first place. However, extensive research has proven that the causal arrow points the other direction: marijuana can cause, trigger, or worsen all of these problems.
We’re all familiar with the stereotype of the slacker stoner. It was once a comedy staple; for years, acts like Cheech and Chong made a fortune portraying pot heads seeking weedy Nirvana. Today, the media, celebrities touting their weed wares, and the marijuana industry all want you to think it’s natural, harmless, and safe.
The science says otherwise. Recent studies have repeatedly shown that persistent, early-onset marijuana use results in great-than-normal neurological decline as the users age. In particular, one 2012 review of 1,037 individuals (the Dunedin Study), tested at ages 18, 21, 26, 32, and 38, showed permanent declines of as much as eight points in the IQ of persistent marijuana users. That’s about 8% of the average person’s intelligence.
There’s no way around it: using marijuana long-term, especially when you start as a teenager, clearly damages your brain. Don’t risk it!