Pubdate: Mon, 19 Oct 2015 Source: Tennessean, The (Nashville, TN) Copyright: 2015 The Tennessean Contact: http://www.tennessean.com/SITES/OPINION/submit-editor.shtml Website: http://www.tennessean.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447 Author: Bob Alley BEWARE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA Re: "Pot battle gears back up in California," Oct.12. In all of the thrilling excitement of marijuana legalization, no one has had the integrity recently to mention the Northwestern Medicine/Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School series of studies of 2012, 2013 and 2014 which prove that "casual use of marijuana is related to major brain changes." For previous pot users, "memory-related structures in their brains appeared to shrink and collapse inward," even two years after quitting pot. The study also linked pot abuse to schizophrenia development. Conclusions were: except for terminal illness, no pot use before age 30, and "Decriminalization of the drug may lead to greater use." The Tennessean had a small article on the first 2012 study, but nothing since on the new studies. All we need is another generation of brain damaged voters to turn out, tuned out! Bob Alley Nashville 37215 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom