Weed use is linked to changes in brain structure and function Cannabis users have poorer 'white matter integrity' in the brain and weaker neural connections However, genetic analysis could not directly tie weed use to these brain changes WEDNESDAY, Oct. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- People who regularly use marijuana experience changes in their brain structure and function, but it’s not clear that cannabis is the cause, a new study finds. Researchers found specific differences in the brains of people who’d ever used weed, particularly in areas densely packed with cannabinoid receptors.
However, genetic analysis couldn’t pin down any specific association between cannabis use and these brain changes. This means some other factor besides weed might be causing these brain changes in marijuana users. “Our results need to be interpreted with careful consideration,” concluded the research team led by Saba Ishrat , a doctoral student in psychiatry with the University of Oxford in the U.
K. “Additional research is needed to understand the effects of heavy cannabis use in this population, including considerations of potency and related information, to inform public policy.” For the study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 15,900 weed users participating in the U.
K. Biobank research project for whom genetic profiling and MRI brain scans were available. Looking at the brains of the marijuana users, researchers found that they had poorer integrity of their "white matter," th.