Pubdate: Wed, 29 Aug 2012
Source: Manchester Evening News (UK)
Copyright: 2012 Manchester Evening News
Contact:  http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1313
Author: Alice McKeegan

EX-ADDICT BACKS NEW RESEARCH SHOWING CANNABIS DOES AFFECT IQ

A woman who started smoking cannabis at the age of 15 has warned of 
the dangers of the drug after new research showed it can lower the IQ 
of young teenagers and may cause permanent mental impairment.

Zoe Houston, 38, smoked up to 25 joints a day after getting hooked 
just months after leaving school.

Her addiction became so bad that she dropped out of college because 
she couldn't concentrate on her studies - and needed to earn cash to 
feed her habit.

Zoe smoked the drug for 21 years - going from job to job and 
'drifting' in life - until she decided to seek help. She enrolled on 
a treatment programme with Stockport-based Acorn Treatment and 
finally got clean.

Now Zoe helps out at Acorn's treatment centres across the region and 
supports people going through similar problems.

She has backed a major study by British and American researchers 
showing that the most persistent users suffer an average eight-point 
decline in IQ between adolescence and adulthood.

Scientists believe smoking cannabis from around puberty may disrupt 
developing and vulnerable brain circuits.

Users experienced significantly more attention and memory problems 
than non-users, the study revealed.

This was the case even after taking account of different educational 
backgrounds and use of alcohol and other drugs.

Zoe, from Lancashire, said: "I started on cannabis at 15 and by 16 I 
was smoking from morning to night. A group of my friends also used it 
and I guess we thought it was cool at the time.

"There's a misconception that it's only a herb and it's not dangerous 
but that's simply not the case. I had 20-odd jobs by the age of 30 
and couldn't settle in anything.

"My memory was horrendous and I really struggled so I definitely 
agree with the study's findings. My advice to other people is not to 
use cannabis at all - it's not worth it."

Zoe sought help two years ago and has been clean ever since. It took 
her two months to stop completely - and she believes it was the best 
thing she could have done.

The international research team, led by US psychologist Dr Madeline 
Meier, from Duke University in Durham, Carolina, wrote in the journal 
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: "Persistent cannabis 
use was associated with neuropsychological decline broadly across 
domains of functioning even after controlling for years of education.

"Impairment was concentrated among adolescent-onset cannabis users, 
with more persistent use associated with greater decline. Further, 
cessation of cannabis use did not fully restore neuropsychological 
functioning among adolescent-onset cannabis users."

The researchers analysed data on 1,037 individuals enrolled into the 
Dunedin Study, a large lifestyle and health investigation based in New Zealand.

For help on drug issues, contact Acorn on 0161 484 0000.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom