A small study funded by the National Institute of Health found that teenagers who stopped using marijuana will regain some cognitive deficits; however, their attention deficits will persist.
The researchers recruited 19 marijuana user and 21 teenagers in the same age group (15 to 19 years old) from similar backgrounds who did not use marijuana. Every participant completed tests three days, two weeks, and three weeks after the users stopped smoking marijuana.
Teen marijuana users had lower scores on tests of verbal learning and verbal memory, as well as attention deficits. After abstaining from marijuana for a few weeks, they improved in verbal learning and verbal memory and not in attention deficits.
The study appeared in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
Labels: marijuana, teen drug abuse, brain chemistry
Posted By: CRC Health Group