Researchers Probe Why Pot Marijuana Makes You… What Was I Saying?
The most prolific stoner stereotype is the affable and ever-friendly flaky pot smoker, the dude that laughingly recounts tales of personal inability to recall even the smallest of tasks.
And while marijuana use has become slightly more mainstream in the past decade with legalized medical pot in several states, the dope-smoking loser trope remains, dogging those who like to puff the magic dragon every now and again. Researchers have examined exactly why pot makes us forgetful, and a new study in the journal Nature details some of the findings that explain why blazing can make you seem cognitively impaired.
It would appear that smoking weed actually can weaken certain brain cells, Nature explains:
“The psychoactive ingredient of marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Using microelectrodes implanted into the brains of anaesthetized rats, the researchers found that the compound weakens the connections, or synapses, between neurons in the hippocampus, a structure that is crucial for memory formation.”
Further studies are planned to discern which strains of marijuana cause the lowest impact on these brain functions, so that better medicinal pot can be offered to patients.
Comments
About the Author
Kim LaCapria Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.
Related Posts
Marijuana Crop Worth $10 Million Discovered Growing In South Side Chicago →
Marijuana Smoking Teens Could Be Permanently Damaging Their Brains →
When In Rome .. Grow 340KG Of Pot In Unused Tunnels [Video] →
