Recent Research Sheds Light on the Effects of Cannabis on the Brain

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00:00Recent research sheds light on the effects of cannabis on the brain.

00:04Cannabis use, driven by legalization and acceptance, is rising globally.

00:10Once deemed harmless, recent research highlights its brain damage risks,

00:14especially psychosis in young adults. A McGill University study in JAMA Psychiatry

00:20reveals cannabis reduces brain connectivity in those at higher psychosis risk,

00:24increasing their chances of developing psychosis.

00:31The McGill University study examined 49 participants aged 16 to 30 using advanced brain scans,

00:38finding reduced synaptic density in those at psychosis risk compared to controls,

00:43highlighting potential brain changes associated with psychotic symptoms.

00:48Synaptic density, crucial for brain connectivity, decreases with cannabis use,

00:53disrupting synaptic pruning vital for development.

00:59The McGill study observed reduced synaptic density in key brain areas worsened by cannabis,

01:05especially during maturation. Dr. Romina Mizrahi and PhD student Belen Blasco

01:11recommend targeting synaptic density for therapies to improve social function and life quality.

01:16A study in JAMA Network OPEN, involving 1,003 adults aged 22 to 36,

01:23found frequent heavy cannabis users showed reduced brain activity in areas linked to working memory,

01:29decision-making, and emotional processing. 63% of long-term users showed reduced activity.

01:35Long-term users had used cannabis over 1,000 times.

01:39Dr. Romina Mizrahi and PhD student Belen Blasco

01:43Researchers used MRI to study cannabis' acute effects on young brains.

01:47Finding it disrupts communication in networks for daydreaming, decision-making,

01:52focus, memory, and emotions.