Pubdate: Wed, 16 Apr 2014
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Malcolm Ritter, The Associated Press

POT SMOKERS' BRAINS SHOW CHANGES, STUDY FINDS

New York (AP) - A small study of casual marijuana smokers has turned 
up evidence of changes in the brain, a possible sign of trouble 
ahead, researchers say.

The young adults who volunteered for the study were not dependent on 
pot, nor did they show any marijuana related problems.

"What we think we are seeing here is a very early indication of what 
becomes a problem later on with prolonged use," things like lack of 
focus and impaired judgment, said Dr. Hans Breiter, a study author.

Longer-term studies will be needed to see if such brain changes cause 
any symptoms over time, said Breiter, of the Northwestern University 
Feinberg School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Previous studies have shown mixed results in looking for brain 
changes from marijuana use, perhaps because of differences in the 
techniques used, he and others noted in Wednesday's issue of the 
Journal of Neurosciences.

The study is among the first to focus on possible brain effects in 
recreational pot smokers, said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the 
National Institute on Drug Abuse, which helped pay for the work.

The results showed differences in two brain areas associated with 
emotion and motivation - the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens. It 
was more pronounced in those who reported smoking more marijuana.

"I think the clear message is we see brain alterations before you 
develop dependence," said brain researcher Krista Lisdahl of the 
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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