Marijuana affects cognitive function only for 72 hours

PanARMENIAN.Net - Researchers say the “brain haze” from marijuana only lasts for three days. However, other experts say the drug still has long-term effects on teenagers, Healthline reports.

The effects of marijuana on brain development in teens and young adults remains a contentious topic.

Previous studies have linked teenage marijuana use with numerous developmental risks, including a decline in cognitive ability.

But a new study is challenging that.

Published this month in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, the study concludes that prior research “may have overstated the magnitude and persistence of cognitive deficits associated with use.”

Additionally, the researchers found that people who abstained from marijuana use for longer than 72 hours had insignificant cognitive issues after that time period.

“Our analyses suggest a detectable but limited association between cannabis use and cognitive functioning in adolescents and young adults; for a majority of individuals, such effects may be of questionable clinical significance, especially after sustained abstinence,” the authors write.

However, vocal critics of the risks posed by marijuana to teens and young adults remain.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is staunchly opposed to legalization of marijuana for both recreational and medical use.

This new study has done little to change that position.

“We still have significant concerns about the impact of marijuana usage by teens — on their emotional and psychosocial development — and data still needs to confirm more about the possible effects of brain development and physical status,” Dr. Sheryl A. Ryan, chairperson for AAP’s Committee on Substance Use and Prevention, said.