MELBOURNE, Jun 4, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- An Australian study of brain imaging
shows long-term, heavy use of marijuana can cause significant brain injury.
The abnormalities can cause psychotic symptoms and memory loss, the University
of Melbourne said Tuesday in a news release.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne and the University of Wollongong used
brain imaging to show the hippocampus and the amygdala, which regulate memory
and emotional processing, were significantly reduced.
"These findings challenge the widespread perception of cannabis as having
limited or no harmful effects on brain and behavior," said Dan Lubman, an
addiction medicine specialist at Orygen Youth Health.
The study found long-term cannabis users had advanced their memory loss by about
15 years. The study authors said the memory loss could be likened to the damage
suffered by patients with mild traumatic brain injury.
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