Question

Adolecent use of Marijuana can cause a lack of pre-frontal cortex development

Answer 1

I have seen this in my personal life and fully support this claim. In the CDC article linked below, it says that, "Cannabis use directly affects brain function — specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time." I have seen many cases of kids who were really bright and had a great future ahead of them get turned into zombies who can't remember what they ate for breakfast because of this stuff. A true shame and it has scientific evidence behind it.

https://www.cdc.gov/cannabis/health-effects/brain-health.html

Answer 2

From what I can find and from what I've seen in this article I would agree that yes marijuana use in adolescence does cause developmental issues. Even at my high school I could see the effects on kids who frequently smoked. A lot of that has to do with the effects weed has on "stress response, anxiety, memory, pain, and motivated behavior." by supressing these critical parts of our brain at a point where they are the most susceptible it changes our brains and causes us to act different, be slower to recall and process, and more. So "The potential association of cannabis use with adolescent development represents an increasingly relevant public health issue, particularly given evidence of increased problematic cannabis use among adolescents in areas where recreational cannabis use has been legalized". based on this research I would say that this claim is true.

https://bbrfoundation.org/content/cannabis-use-adolescence-may-alter-development-cerebral-cortex

Comments

I like how you use multiple quotes and also reference personal experience to give a more personable touch to your response. I also like how often clarify that this is a more pressing issue in adolescents because it affects developmental processes. I think sometimes people try to use arguments like this against adults - on whom those effects might not have such a serious impact).

Answer 3

From what I can find, I have to say that the claim “Adolescent use of marijuana can cause a lack of prefrontal cortex development” is true. First, taking a look at the source provided, the evidence comes from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. This is a credible source, as backed up by the National Library of Medicine, “One is that scientific competence in the organization…has always resided in a Scientific Council composed of leaders in the field.” “The Council has sought to support the best research, no matter who is doing it or where it is being done.” Next, I took a look at the author of the article. According to Vermont Brain Health & Wellbeing, Matthew D. Albaugh is a licensed clinical psychologist, has a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Vermont, and even completed an additional four years of postdoctoral training in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, so I would say he’s pretty reliable. 

After a bit more research, I came across an article from PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It states how a developmental neuroscientist, Kuei Y. Tseng, did a study where he investigated how rats respond to THC. “He’s found that exposure to THC or similar molecules during a specific window of adolescence delays maturation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a region involved in complex behaviors and decision making.” So I did some more research on Kuei Y. Tseng just to make sure, and I found out that he has a MD and PhD in physiology and neuroscience, and he’s a postdoctoral scholar in Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience, according to his LinkedIn, so I’d say he’s also pretty reliable. 

I did some more research just to back the claim up a bit more, and I found an article from AmericanAddictionCenters. This organization has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau, so we know it's reliable. It states how chronic and early cannabis use can cause several adverse effects on an individual, such as “Cognitive problems, such as problems with attention, concentration, problem-solving, learning, and memory. Reduced coordination and reaction time. Performance issues at school or work. Poor decision-making and judgement.” etc. So, I full heartedly agree that this claim is true.

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37157032/

• https://www.vtbrainhealth.com/bio

• https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1920325116

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuei-tseng-37908122

• https://americanaddictioncenters.org/marijuana-rehab/effects-of-marijuana-on-teenage-brain

Answer 4

This article claims that Marijuana use before having a fully developed pre-frontal cortex will harm its development and is backed by scientific studies. I found the site that this article references was the National Library of Medicine which is government backed and already points to this claim being truthful. “Comparing MRI scans at baseline, when participants were 14, and 5 years later, the team found a negative correlation between self-reported cannabis use and prefrontal cortex thickness. The prefrontal cortex is involved in executive functioning and is one of the last parts of the brain to mature—it may not be fully developed until around age 25. This part of the brain normally thins with age, but the study found that on average, cannabis-related thinning was greater in cortical regions that normally show the most significant age-related thinning.” (Brain and Behavior Research Foundation). This statement is almost pulled directly from the case study by the National Library of Medicine. I found this article to be almost entirely a rewritten summary of the case study done by the National Library of Medicine. Therefore, I found this article to be truthful and factual with real sources embedded throughout.  

Answer 5

From both my research and personal observations, the claim that adolescent use of weed causes priobelms in the developemnt of the pre-frontal cortex is true. The linked study (from JAMA Psychiatry) supports the claim of the author. Studies of MRI's show a difference in the development of the pre-frontal cortex between marijuana users and those that don't use weed. In my personal observatinos the difference in memory, decision making, and impulse control are obvious between those that smoked weed in their teen years and those that did not.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7244905/#:~:text=Many%20studies%20have%20indicated%20that,have%20found%20no%20clear%20group