Teenage cannabis smokers are damaging their brains.
Teenagers who smoke cannabis are damaging their brains
Those who have smoked the drug before the age of 16 had a thinner cerebral cortex - the outermost layer of the brain - than teens who hadn't, according to Canadian researchers.
The experts are alarmed by the findings as the cerebral cortex is a vital part of the organ that is responsible for cognition, memory, and reasoning.
The team behind the research suggests that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in the drug, could be responsible for the changes to the brain.
It underlines the danger that cannabis poses for adolescents as previous studies have linked the drug in teenagers to an increased chance of developing serious psychotic disorders in later life.
Dr. Tomas Paus, co-author of the study at Universite de Montreal, said: "(Cannabis use may) make it harder for the brain to learn new things, interact with people and cope with new situations.
"In other words, it makes the brain more vulnerable to everything that can happen in a young person's life."