Westword
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Dear Stoner: I love smoking weed, but how much does it mess with my memory? From ten seconds after I hit a joint to being an old geezer, what will regular cannabis use do to me? I’m only a couple years in and don’t notice much of a difference so far.
Burnt Hair
Dear Burnt Hair: Cannabis research is still seriously lacking in this country, but enough has been done to suggest that regular pot use will likely affect your short-term memory now and in the future. The main intoxicating compound in weed, THC, attaches to our brain receptors that are responsible for memory formation, including the hippocampus, amygdala and cerebral cortex.
Cannabis can be good for a lot of things, but not for your memory.
Kenzie bruce
The science is pretty clear about long-term memory risk from routine cannabis, too. Based on all of the movie scenes I’ve forgotten thanks to pre-screening joints, I can co-sign that. As much as I love cannabis and accept whatever comes of my consumption, my short- and long-term memories, dream cycle and lung capacity have all been affected by it.
Although your memory will worsen, there’s still no strong connection between cannabis use and Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. In fact, some researchers are looking into cannabis as a treatment for early dementia symptoms. But let me say this one more time: Weed is not good for your memory. Please don’t forget that by tomorrow morning.
Send questions to marijuana@westword.com.
