Does Marijuana Make You Stupid? (Study)

In today’s media portrayal of marijuana, all it takes is one bong hit before people become ridiculously stupid, unable to solve the simplest problems or utter a coherent sentence. The popular concern is that smoking weed permanently reduces learning and memory. A recent study tested for the negative effects of marijuana but instead found that marijuana can actually have positive results for the brain.

The scientists found that amount of pot consumed had no measurable impact on cognitive performance. The sole exception was performance on a test of short-term verbal memory, in which “current heavy users” performed slightly worse than former users. The researchers conclude that, contrary to earlier findings, the mind altering properties of marijuana are ephemeral and fleeting.

Taken together, these studies demonstrate that popular stereotypes of marijuana users are unfair and untrue. While it’s definitely not a good idea to perform a cognitively demanding task (such as driving!) while stoned, smoking a joint probably also won’t lead to any measurable long-term deficits.

Interestingly, the scientists found that marijuana seems to induce a state of hyper-priming, in which the reach of semantic priming extends to distantly related concepts. As a result, we hear “dog” and think of nouns that, in more sober circumstances, would seem rather disconnected, such as “leash” or “hair.” This state of hyper-priming helps explain why cannabis has been so often used as a creative fuel, as it seems to make the brain better at detecting those remote associations that lead to radically new ideas.

> Marijuana Makes You Stupid? | Wired Magazine

2 Replies to “Does Marijuana Make You Stupid? (Study)”

  1. Where can I read these studies? Def need to bring them up when defending my first love.

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