A
new study published in the latest Journal of Alzheimer's Disease has revealed that marijuana use affects blood flow virtually in every
part of the brain. New scans of 1,000 cannabis users show marijuana users have
widespread build-ups or restrictions of blood flow.
Abnormal
blood levels are recorded in areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease such as
hippocampus.
Many
of those who are opposing rapid legalization of recreational and medical
marijuana in US see these findings as an ominous warning.
These
research findings seem supporting White House's Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Gupta, who warned few
weeks earlier, legalization is moving faster than research.
The
research was based on data of 26,268 patients across the US between 1995 and
2015. Out of these patients, 1000 were marijuana users.
The
researchers at Amen Clinics witness a stark difference in blood flow levels
comparing marijuana users’ brain scans with healthy controls.
Every
marijuana users scans revealed that they had significantly low blood flow in
the right hippocampus compared to the controls.
It
is believed that marijuana use interfere memory formation by restricting
activity in this part of brain.
Co-author
Dr Elisabeth Jorandby said even she was shocked by the findings, despite
dealing with marijuana patients on a routine basis.
'As
a physician who routinely sees marijuana users, what struck me was not only the
global reduction in blood flow in the marijuana users brains , but that the
hippocampus was the most affected region due to its role in memory and
Alzheimer's disease,' she said.
'Our
research has proven that marijuana users have lower cerebral blood flow than
non-users.
'Second,
the most predictive region separating these two groups is low blood flow in the
hippocampus on concentration brain SPECT imaging.
'This
work suggests that marijuana use has damaging influences in the brain –
particularly regions important in memory and learning and known to be affected
by Alzheimer's.'
Dr
George Perry, editor in chief of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease said: 'Open
use of marijuana, through legalization, will reveal the wide range of
marijuana's benefits and threats to human health.
'This
study indicates troubling effects on the hippocampus that may be the harbingers
of brain damage.'
Dr
Daniel Amen, founder of Amen Clinics, said: 'Our research demonstrates that
marijuana can have significant negative effects on brain function.
'The
media has given the general impression that marijuana is a safe recreational
drug, this research directly challenges that notion.
'In another new study just released, researchers showed
that marijuana use tripled the risk of psychosis. Caution is clearly in order.'
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