A new research findings has been released which claims that using cannabis can affect memory, decision-making and concentration.
The research was conducted by experts from Canada who have unearthed scientific evidence that cannabis has effects which can last beyond the period of use.
According to the scholars from University of Montreal, children who consume marijuana may perform poorly at school because of the negative effects associated with the drug.
Further adults who consume marijuana experience impaired driving ability and can suffer at work.
The research findings were published on the Journal Addiction which concluded that the said impairments ‘may be worse in regular and heavy users.’
Hence more prevention measures are needed in schools to prevent teenagers from using the drug chronically.
The scholars conducted analysis of existing studies involving an excess of 43,000 people.
The study focused on how cannabis affected processing speed, motor function, learning and memory. They also analysed how the drug affects cognitive performance immediately after consuming it and in the long-term.
The studies which were analysed involved between 65 to thousands of volunteers in the experiments. The volunteers engaged in varied smoking habits from daily use to no smoking at all.
They concluded that heavy and frequent use of marijuana or cannabis hampered self-control, flexible thing and decision making.
Research also revealed that adults who consumed the substance performed poorly in memory tests. However, some of the studies came out with different findings such as one which found no effect on memory is caused by regular use of cannabis.
Dr. Alexandre Dumais, a co-author and a psychiatrist by profession, argued that cannabis can impair ‘several areas of cognition’.
‘Cannabis use in youth may consequently lead to reduced educational attainment, and, in adults, to poor work performance and dangerous driving,’ he added.
‘These consequences may be worse in regular and heavy users.’
Previous studies however revealed that when the drug which is used as a medicine around the globe can alleviate stress, anxiety and depression. However, heavy use may worsen the situation by reducing the brain’s ability to forget the bad memories.
The use of cannabis can also worsen mental health problems of people who already have them or increase the user’s risk of schizophrenia and psychosis.
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