Marijuana 'causes brain injury to young'RSS Feed

Smoking marijuana when under the age of 16 could cause brain injury, new research has found.

Using the drug regularly when young can cause neurological changes which can hinder the individuals' ability to concentrate, think abstractly and learn from mistakes.

Researchers at the Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital found that marijuana caused activation in sections of the brain in younger users that was not seen in those who began smoking the drug after the age of 16.

The study tested a group of marijuana smokers and non-users by giving them tests to measure executive function.

It was found that those who began using drug before the age of 16 made twice as many mistakes as those who did not.

Bloomberg reports Staci Gruber, study author and the director of the cognitive and clinical neuroimaging core at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts as saying that marijuana can be dangerous to the brain.

"The developing brain is vulnerable," Gruber said. "If you were to legalise it, you need to keep in mind marijuana is not entirely benign. Regulations and guidelines are needed anyway given the sheer number of Americans using it."

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