Alcohol damages the brain more than cannabis, study finds
Unlike booze, marijuana does not affect grey or white matter in the brain
Grey matter enables brain function; white matter controls communication
Researchers add investigations into cannabis’ effects are still highly limited
In the US, 44% of those over 12 have used marijuana at some point in their lives
Five states in the US have legalised cannabis for broad use, including Oregon
Source: Daily Mail
By Alexandra Thompson
12 February 2018
Alcohol damages the brain more than cannabis, new research suggests.
Unlike booze, marijuana does not affect the size or integrity of white or grey matter in the brain, even after years of exposure, a study found.
Grey matter enables the brain to function, while white controls communication between nerve clusters.
Study author Professor Kent Hutchison from the University of Colorado Boulder, said: ‘While marijuana may also have some negative consequences, it definitely is nowhere near the negative consequences of alcohol.’
The scientists add, however, research into cannabis’ mental effects are still very limited.
Lead author Rachel Thayer said: ‘Particularly with marijuana use, there is still so much that we don’t know about how it impacts the brain.’
In the US, 44 percent of those aged 12 or over have used cannabis at some point in their lives.
Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska and Colorado have leglised marijuana for medical or recreational use.
CAN CANNABIS MAKE YOU FEEL ALIENATED?
Cannabis users are more likely to experience negative emotions, particularly feeling alienated from others, research suggested in January 2018.
People who use marijuana are significantly more likely to feel that others wish them harm or are deceiving them, a study found.
Brain scans also reveal the class-B drug increases signal connectivity in regions of the brain that have previously been linked to psychosis, the research adds, which is associated with severe depression.
Teenage cannabis users are particularly affected as their brains are still developing, according to the researchers from the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse in Bethesda.
The scientists analyzed 60 people, half of which were cannabis dependent.
The study’s participants completed a questionnaire that asked them about their feelings of stress, aggression, reactivity and alienation.
Brain scans were also taken of all of the participants.
In the US, 44 percent of those aged 12 or over have used cannabis at some point in their lives.
Around 2.1 million adults in the UK use marijuana every year.
‘There’s no consistency across all of these studies’
Despite their findings, the researchers add there are still many holes in marijuana’s safety.
Professor Hutchison said: ‘When you look at the research much more closely, you see that a lot of it is probably not accurate.
‘When you look at these studies going back years, you see that one study will report that marijuana use is related to a reduction in the volume of the hippocampus [a region of the brain associated with memory and emotions].
‘The next study then comes around, and they say that marijuana use is related to changes in the cerebellum or the whatever
‘The point is that there’s no consistency across all of these studies in terms of the actual brain structures.’
‘We still have a lot of work to do’
Although their findings appear positive, the researchers also add there is a long way to go before cannabis will likely be broadly legalised.
Many are still concerned as to how the class-C drug affects people of different ages, manages pain and causes addiction.
Professor Hutchison said: ‘Considering how much is happening in the real world with the legalisation movement, we still have a lot of work to do.’
How the research was carried out
The researchers analysed 853 adults aged between 18 and 55, as well as 439 teenagers aged 14-to-18 years old.
The study’s participants’ alcohol and cannabis use over the past 30 days was investigated.
MRI scans were taken of the participants’ brains.
Cannabis drug slashes the risk of a epileptic fit by nearly 50%
This comes after research released last month found a drug derived from cannabis reduces certain epilepsy patients’ risk of a fit by nearly 50 percent.
Sufferers of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which is a rare, severe form of the condition, are 43.9 percent less likely to have a drop seizure if they take the medication every day for 14 weeks, a US study found.
Drop seizures cause a brief lapse of muscle tone and usually last less than 15 seconds.
Christina SanInocencio, executive director of the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Foundation, said: ‘Additional treatment options are desperately needed for patients who continue to struggle with uncontrolled seizures and these results offer much needed hope to those living with this debilitating condition.’
The drug, known as Epidiolex, contains cannabidiol, which is a cannabis-derived nutritional supplement that is thought to possess a range of medicinal benefits and has been reported to help people suffering from migraines, psoriasis, acne and depression.
Cannabidiol does not contain any THC, which is the psychoactive component of cannabis that makes users ‘high’.