Those who frequently use marijuana may be at an increased risk for schizophrenia, according to a new study from researchers at the Feinburg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Illinois.
Researchers examined a groups of young adults who smoked pot regularly through their teens but had stopped using the drug for at least two years. They found that those who had smoked pot regularly between the ages of 16 and 17 showed deterioration in the thalamus of the brain, which is linked with memory loss.
They also found that found that this deterioration is very similar to that suffered by those with schizophrenia.
"The abuse of popular street drugs, such as marijuana, may have dangerous implications for young people who are developing or have developed mental disorders. This paper is among the first to reveal that the use of marijuana may contribute to the changes in brain structure that have been associated with having schizophrenia," the researchers said.
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