New Drug and Alcohol Dependance Study on Cannabis Use in Teenagers and Brain Structure

A new study finds that teens who use cannabis do not experience any changes in brain structure. The general opinion is that cannabis use is not recommended for teenagers as it can affect brain development, but this new study suggests otherwise. The research was recently published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence and it involved 200 teenagers with behavioral issues living in Pittsburgh in the 1980s. Brain scans from the past 20 years indicate no changes to brain structure.

Those with the highest level of cannabis use had similar brain scans to those with almost no exposure. It is important to note that the study only looked at 200 participants and all of them were male. It is really only the beginning of these findings as the control group was so small. It is also debatable whether MRIs are the best way to track brain development. The study offers important insight and certainly calls for further research.