Study says early use of weed may reduce IQ, affect brain function

The early use of marijuana may result in lower IQ and abnormal brain function, according to a new study. The findings showed that participants who started using marijuana from early in life had highly abnormal brain function in areas related to visuo-spatial processing, memory, self-referential activity and reward processing. "The study suggest that using marijuana does not correct the brain abnormalities or symptoms of depression and using it from an early age may have an abnormal effect not only on brain function, but also on IQ," said Elizabeth Osuch from Lawson Health Research Institute, in Ontario, Canada. Previous studies have suggested that frequent marijuana users, especially those who begin at a young age, are at a higher risk for cognitive dysfunction and psychiatric illness, including depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.