Pubdate: May 22, 1999 Source: Science News (US) Copyright: 1999 Science Service Feedback: http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_forms/sn_ctact.htm Website: http://www.sciencenews.org/ THE STRAIGHT DOPE Long-term marijuana use does not seem to adversely affect mental function, according to a study of 1,318 Baltimore residents. Twelve years after they were first given a standard test of mental ability, volunteers' average scores had declined only slightly. Those who admitted to having smoked marijuana, even heavily, were no more likely to show signs of impaired mental function than people who had never tried the drug, researchers report in the May 1 "American Journal of Epidemiology". - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart