Cannabis Use and the Brain

With the use of cannabis on the rise and increasingly accepted in our culture, it’s important that we reckon with the fact that its use does have an effect on one’s cognitive and psychological processing. A variety of recent studies found that in relation to cognitive processes, cannabis users showed significantly lower performance on memory tests than those who are non-users or occasional users. These results were consistent, even when the subject being tested was clean on the day of testing. Users were also reported to have a tendency to engage in making riskier decisions, with this tendency even being evident in mild users of cannabis. Other effects of cannabis use include a greater incidence of psychotic episodes, an inability to feel pleasure, and schizophrenia. Cannabis use does have an effect on the brain’s chemistry and circuitry. Parents, if your kids are using cannabis, get them the help they need. And point them to the freedom that comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.