Cannabis does NOT cause brain damage!
This brand new 2019 study examined the associations between cannabis use, brain structure and cognitive function. MRI images and cognitive tests of cannabis users vs. non-users (after controlling for age and depression symptoms) were the same, meaning cannabis users (who were similar in almost every other way to the non-users) did not have impaired cognitive performance or brain structure defecits!
Both users and non-users had the same total gray and white matter volumes, but cannabis users showed greater brain volume of the lingual gyrus, the putamen. and rostral middle frontal cortex, all very interesting brain areas. It makes you wonder, not only does cannabis not cause brain damange, but does it enhance brain function? Because the opposite effect (decrease brain volume in these brain areas) is the cause (or symptom) of diseases like alzheimer's and schizophrenia.
Source:
Thayer RE, et al (2019). "Preliminary results from a pilot study examining brain structure in older adult cannabis users and nonusers". Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. Vol 285 pp. 58-63. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.02.001. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30785022
This is a really cool study and it was posted so recently, just this month! This brain dmage reefer madness myth is another one of those lies that turns out to not only be untrue, but be a complete opposite.
Yes, 'brain damage' is one of the Reefer Madness 180s!
Real research on an important topic. The mainstream isn't covering this enough, so thank you for reporting on it!!