Larner College of Medicine News & Media

Our Time Press Reports on Albaugh Study of Effects of Cannibis Use on the Adolescent Brain

July 14, 2022 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(JULY 14, 2022) A new study by Matthew Albaugh, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, and colleagues has found that smoking marijuana as a teen likely affects the still-developing brain, Our Time Press reports.

Matthew Albaugh, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry

(JULY 14, 2022) A new study by Matthew Albaugh, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, and colleagues has found that smoking marijuana as a teen likely affects the still-developing brain, Our Time Press reports. The region most at risk is the prefrontal cortex — which helps guide decision-making, rational behavior, and other higher-level functions. Whether this leads to long-lasting problems with behavior and memory is a question for further research.

While cannabis is known to have medical benefits for some people, and adults can legally use it in some U.S. states and countries, Albaugh says that doesn’t mean cannabis is harmless for young users. “Brain areas that change the most during adolescence may be especially vulnerable to cannabis exposure,” he says.

Read full story at Our Time Press