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Marijuana Might Not Make Us Dumber, After All
Greatist News examines and explains the trends and studies making headlines in fitness, health, and happiness. Check out all the news here.
Dude, good news for the pot smokers among us: Marijuana might not make us dopey, after all. A recent study contradicts a finding from 2012 that linked heavy cannabis use to dwindling IQ. Who to trust in this reefer madness? We break down the pot-head debate.
What’s the Deal?
Marijuana has been in the news of late thanks to its legalization in states across the country. But not all press is good press: Last year, ganja drew a bad rap thanks to one study suggesting people who smoked pot on a regular basis as teenagers were more likely to see declines in their IQ by middle age.
But the new year brings new, weed-friendly findings: A study published yesterday concludes that non-pot-related factors are the real cause of a decline in smarts. The study’s authors propose that factors associated with socioeconomic status — rather than a person’s toking habits — could explain the results of the 2012 study. For example, people in lower socioeconomic classes tend to have reduced access to schooling, which can negatively affect IQ, regardless of cannabis use.
To reach this conclusion, the study’s authors simulated the 2012 study (which followed 1,037 individuals, born the same year, from birth to age 38). Instead of looking for marijuana’s impact, the new study looked just at socioeconomic factors and found the same decline in IQ.
Is It Legit?
Quite possibly. While the 2012 study wasn’t entirely incorrect (people’s cognitive performance did decline over time), it’s a big stretch to attribute those results strictly to a penchant for blowing haze — especially because several studies have found marijuana use isn’t associated with long-term or permanent declines in IQ [1] [2] [3].
That said, some of these same studies found regular heavy users can experience temporary declines in IQ while using marijuana heavily (which perhaps might explain the "dumb stoner" stereotype). This could account for the missing link between the two studies [2] [3].
But while research lends credence to the current study’s claims that socioeconomic factors are the real cause of cognitive decline, an author of the 2012 study maintains she and her co-authors controlled for socioeconomic status before drawing their conclusions. Her team also found the IQs of adolescents who weren’t heavy users didn’t change in adulthood — regardless of their socioeconomic background. We can’t discredit the 2012 study entirely.
But the new findings are still cause for marijuana worrywarts to, you know, relax, man.
Are you convinced, or should pot smokers still fear for their cognitive health? Share in the comments below or get in touch with the author on Twitter @LauraNewc.
Works Cited
- Current and former marijuana use: preliminary findings of a longitudinal study of effects on IQ in young adults. Fried, P., Watkinson, B., James, D., et al. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2002 April 2; 166(7): 887–891⤴
- Neurocognitive consequences of marihuana—a comparison with pre-drug performance. Fried, PA, Watkinson, B., and Gray, R. Department of Psychology, Carleton University. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 2005 Mar-Apr;27(2):231-9. Epub 2004 Dec 9⤴
- Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Pope, HG Jr., Gruber, AJ, Hudson, JI, et al. McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2001 Oct;58(10):909-15⤴
- Neurocognitive consequences of marihuana—a comparison with pre-drug performance. Fried, PA, Watkinson, B., and Gray, R. Department of Psychology, Carleton University. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 2005 Mar-Apr;27(2):231-9. Epub 2004 Dec 9⤴
- Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Pope, HG Jr., Gruber, AJ, Hudson, JI, et al. McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2001 Oct;58(10):909-15⤴
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Comments Leave a comment
A long-term study (Lyons et al. 2004) of identitcal twins discordant for maijuana use suggests that it does not diminish cognitive function.
What we do know, however, is that it diminishes our ability to remember things.
Lower socioeconomic groups also may not get proper nutrition for good brain function in school.
@JeffPlitt I think you'd be surprised at the variety of people who smoke marijuana regularly.
@lgpperry @JeffPlitt It was in reference to the flaw of the original study actually finding socioeconomic factors in IQ, sorry for not being more specific. Yes, there are plenty who smoke quite frequently, constantly one could say, and yes they are a bit slow at times in conversation but after a few days break are back to their sharp responsive selves. Far from "permanent" lowering of the IQ.
As far as nutrition, yes, it hinders proper brain development, the learning experience becomes more difficult. That is why the food programs in schools are so important, nutritious home made meals like the old days, and those free breakfasts that give kids, who otherwise would not have had any, half a chance to move themselves out of poverty through education.
@JeffPlitt Oh, yes, I am aware of all of that. Your original comment just seemed like it was a reference to the study results about smoking and mental "quickness". Thanks for clarifying.
Interestingly, studies suggest that, rather than lowering cognitive function (measured by IQ tests), marijuana use just diminishes short term memory. Theoretically, it's temporary, but we also know that you either "use it or lose it" to some extent when it comes to the brain, so it's likely that people who smoke regularly lose some cognitive functions just as a result of not using them as much. It would be hard to study that, though, since most of those people don't take enough breaks to get back to that fully responsive state.
Nutrition is incredibly important. It would be hard to implement programs for this, but probably the most important nutrition for brain development is actually the mother's preconception and pregnancy nutrition. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if this country is ready to help lower socioeconomic groups that much.
@lgpperry I didn't think it would be long before someone could negate the 2012 study, its timing was a bit suspect coming up shortly before the November elections and the control group were all from the same area. I enjoy seeing these "myth busters" of "reefer madness" delivered in such an efficient fashion on this fleeting fad they call the internet.