In a strong, decisive blow against the long-standing mainstream prohibitionist narrative that “pot makes you stupid”, a study from Duke University smashes that long-held stereotypical perception after a real, unbiased testing was done to discover the eventual results. You know, just like cannabis enthusiasts have been saying for decades.
Duke University is responsible for this historically game and mind changing study. Researchers at Duke headed the best possible scenario in this study: analyzing the cognitive ability, habits, successes and failures of identical twins. Twins give this study its advantage above others because they come from the same background, upbringing and have almost the exact same body chemistry. These factors weed out much of the uncertainty in comparison to tests done on people with very different make-ups and backgrounds.
“The data collected from the identical twins fails to support the implication that marijuana exposure in adolescence causes neurocognitive decline,” according to the study.
The numbers gathered from the twin study suggest that teenagers who experience “intellectual stagnation” are the ones who are most likely to develop heavy cannabis use habits later on in life. This is mainly due to the boredom factor, where high IQ students end up tuning out because they lack interest in school studies that are geared to their lower intelligence peers, depriving them of essential intellectual challenge and cognitive stimulation. According to the study, these types of teens are “predisposed to intellectual stagnation in middle school and are on a trajectory for future marijuana use.”
Put a different way, teenagers on the lowest and highest end of the IQ spectrum are almost equally as likely to develop habitual cannabis use in their younger years. The teenagers on the low end of the IQ spectrum develop marijuana dependence due to a lack in brain development, while high IQ spectrum teens get there typically through boredom — and little else.
Naturally, this scientific conclusion does not mean anyone can consume as much cannabis as they want with zero side effects. Despite its various medicinal uses, treatment and applications — cannabis is a drug. Make no mistake about it. Yes, it’s a plant, but plants can still be considered drugs. Historically speaking, cannabis is one of the safest drugs known to man, but that doesn’t mean it comes with no risks. Breathing open air comes with a risk or two. Eating a cheeseburger comes with some potential dangers. You get the idea — just be smart about anything you put in your body. But you’re here reading The Marijuana Times, so you probably don’t have much to worry about in that department.
Those of us who have been using marijuana more or less regularly for 40-50 years know that there is no cognitive decline, or decline in lung function, or decline in motivation, or decline in…(insert other prohibitionist claim). In fact, for many of us, marijuana is a blessing as we age.
I have to say that I have no regrets smoking all these years. I think it truely makes me do better work, and it sure makes the job more interesting, trying to find the best way to get the job done, and really focus on a project in detail. I’m 58 in August, started in 7th grade, became daily in 10th or 11th grade. So it’s been 45 years, and I have also smoked cigarettes that long and got a clear lung check 5-6 yrs ago when I caught pneumonia. My Dad died at 59 of liver and lung cancer. He never worked a day if his life though, drove truck mostly. It’s work of course but not the same ya know. No leg strength at all on him. Anyway. So glad it’s not the opposite, I did put pot resin on my nose when some cancerous sores seemed to be growing, and they’re all but gone! Amazing plant!!!