Duke University Twins Study Concludes | Stoner News
We’ve all heard that stoner stereotype… People who smoke weed are dumber than people that don’t. Chances are if you’ve heard that and you’re reading this article, you know that that’s a myth. Smoking cannabis doesn’t make you stupid. This statement has been used as ammunition in the anti cannabis party for years but now, science is beginning to get the “OK” to experiment with the plant. New breakthroughs are presented every day. Recently, a very interesting study done by researchers at Duke University released their findings of a ten years study done on several pairs of twins, with some who used cannabis and some who did not.
The study wanted to see if cannabis use in adolescence effects the neurocognitive motor function in the brain. Several sets of twins were studied over the course of a ten year span. All of the twins in the study were absolutely fine and had little to no side effects from smoking cannabis. The study also pointed out that both those at both the high and low end of the IQ spectrum enjoyed smoking and were equally as likely to begin smoking. The twins with lower IQ scores enjoyed smoking cannabis because it made their underdeveloped brains feel stimulated and the smarter adolescents tend to get bored easily and seek out new and exciting activities to do. Cannabis indulgence is a hard group to pinpoint; there are just so many different people who enjoy using it. The study done on the twins shows that no matter if you’re genetically smarter or not, everyone has the potential to enjoy smoking pot. Not only that but it shows that the plant doesn’t affect the IQ of the person using it and that the “stupid stoner” stereotype is bunk.
Teen use of marijuana still isn’t widely supported nor is it highly protested against. There is the still generally accepted idea that children with predispositions to schizophrenia and other psychological issues with automatically up their risk for a formal diagnosis of a disorder if the smoke cannabis. Additionally, there is also the theory that the memory making section of the brain is effected by teen cannabis use and is thought to be linked to poor test taking skills and other memory related tasks later in life (although some people will definitely chalk that up to unnecessary pressure in society today, which is a logical explanation).
Even if teen use of cannabis isn’t widely accepted, there are many successful people who smoked cannabis in their teen years and are totally fine. If society should blame any substance for long lasting negative effects on the developing brain, it should be alcohol. It has been proven that teenage drinking can lead to intellectual and behavioral impairments that aren’t temporary and can follow a person for life. There are also studies that show drinking during teen years can stunt the growth of the hippocampus, which is where the brain controls learning and memory. Either way, it is still recommended that you try to avoid indulging in any substance until you are over the age of 18. Most states require that recreational cannabis be purchased by someone over the age of 21.