A New Study — Cannabis Can Mess with Memory

Smoking cannabis is bad for the brain. Actually, even before this study was done it didn’t take a whole lot of brains to know the outcome of pot smoking. All that said, Washington State University researchers have found smoking marijuana can cause memory issues. Duh. Really?

• 70% of the 120 participants in the study suffered from some, to a lot, of memory impairment after consuming THC
• Some experienced false memories and thought things happened that didn’t

Carrie Cuttler is an associate professor at WSU and the co-author of the study.

“You are activating certain pathways to create a memory and to recall something, you are trying to reactivate that same pathway,” she said. "If you blast the system with THC, the THC hijacks the system.”

Cuttler said a smoker of weed can see things return to normal if they stop using cannabis for a month.

"Acute alcohol intoxication is generally more disruptive to memory than cannabis," Cuttler said. "If a person abstains from cannabis for a month, we expect a complete rebound."

The study also says the effects of getting high affect brain development and children and teens. That’s something most of us already know. The study advices children and teens to stay away from marijuana.

"Although scientists are still learning about the effects of cannabis on developing brains, studies suggest that cannabis use by mothers during pregnancy could be linked to problems with attention, memory, problem-solving skills, and behavior in their children," the study concludes. "Using cannabis before age 18 may affect how the brain builds connections for functions like attention, memory, and learning. Cannabis’ effects on attention, memory, and learning may last a long time or even be permanent, but more research is needed to fully understand these effects.”

The study concluded that there is no difference in the impact of getting high on marijuana between a heavy user and someone using it once in awhile.

Here’s what the Mayo Clinic has to say about marijuana and its effect on people:

• Altered senses, like seeing brighter colors or smelling scents more intensely
• Altered sense of time and space
• Euphoria and mood changes
• Issues with thinking and problem-solving
• Impaired memory
• Disorientation and confusion
• Relaxation and/or sleepiness (sedation)
• Dizziness
• Issues with coordination
• Slowed reaction time
• Experiencing a panic attack

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