That's So Dope!

Marijuana is known as one of the top drugs that teenagers often get peer pressured into. But, as a teenager, it is one of the worst times to try marijuana. The adolescence’s brain develops so much over that amount of time, that if they start using marijuana it can have life- long effects to the brain. It is said that this brain changing substance can cause much damaging in the learning process because the teenage years are known for giving the brain the last opportunity to become healthy and smart as imaginable. This article, written by Patti Neighmond, discusses the different effects marijuana has on the teenage brain and how it can affect the brain in the long run.

Duke University did a study on people in New Zealand and they compared the IQs of individuals that smoked marijuana and those who did not. The study was on those from childhood to age 38. They saw that people who started using pot in the adolescent stage of their life and kept using it for so many years lost around eight IQ points, starting for their childhood to adult years. But, the ones who had never smoked marijuana did not lose any IQ points. Not only did the study find that the individuals that smoked pot lost IQ points, but they also did badly in memory and making decisions.

It is said that the younger you are to start marijuana; they more likely those individuals become heavy users or get addicted to the drug. Peer pressure is a vital and important part in this situation. Adolescence's might smoke marijuana because they want to fit in or what to be part of a certain clique or group. But, during the teenage years, as many think that smoking pot is the cool thing to do, they do not take into consideration the long-term effects of the substance. 

Abstract  

 Neighmond, P. (2014). Marijuana May Hurt The Developing Teen Brain. Health News. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/25/282631913/marijuana-may-hurt-the-developing-teen-brain