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Marijuana found to decrease brain tissue, lower IQ. With marijuana legalization sweeping across the nation, many users are lauding the increased ease with which they’ll be able to get their high. But it seems like the drug is not without its dangers according to a new study out this week. “The study found that the average marijuana user’s IQ was about five points lower than that of a nonuser. The earlier the study participants began consuming the drug, the worse the condition of the brain. The study, which compared almost 50 marijuana users to a control group, suggests that at first brains affected by marijuana compensate for the deficit in decision-making brain volume by increasing connectivity, a key brain function. But marijuana-affected brains can’t keep up in the long term.” While the study shows only a correlation, meaning there could be other potential causes for the changes, the findings are consistent with the damage seen in animals exposed for long periods of time. “The study joins a growing body of evidence that marijuana harms the brains of young people.”
