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

Answer 6

The premise here is that marijuana use during adolescence will interfere with development in the prefrontal cortex -- that part of the brain that is used for making decisions, planning, and controlling impulses. The link is to an article on the website of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, summarizing the findings of a series of neurological studies that state early use of marijuana can interfere with development in the brain at key points in adolescence.

The journal also mentions studies that have utilized brain imaging scans such as MRI in marijuana-using teenagers. The results point to differences in prefrontal cortex size and structure, and in other regions utilized for executive functioning and memory. These results are of most concern in individuals who have used marijuana before age 16, particularly when use has been heavy or long-term. The concern is that marijuana's psychoactive element, THC, will disrupt normal growth and pruning within the brain at critical times.

Brain and behaviors research foundation: 

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

“The study provides evidence that cannabis use, especially during adolescence, is associated with altered development of the cerebral cortex — particularly in the prefrontal region, which is still maturing during the teenage years.”

The NIH also supports this.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4827335/

Comments

The claim “Adolescent use of marijuana can cause a lack of prefrontal cortex development” is true. The brain stops developing around the late 20s-early 30s range, so it would take a considerable amount of time and life to develop our minds. Effects of Cannabis on the Adolescent Brain - PMCNational Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC3930618
 With the incorporation of marijuana, “A study evaluating young adults (age range 21–27) found that acute THC administration increased blood perfusion in areas important for emotional and cognitive processing, such as the anterior cingulate, frontal cortex, and insula, and reduced perfusion in posterior brain regions. Resting state activity was also altered, as THC increased baseline activity [72].”
Another related study showed,
“In 2010, adolescent cannabis abusers (ages 16–19) were found to have decreased right medial orbital prefrontal cortex volume compared to non-using counterparts; volume was also found to be positively correlated with age of initiation of marijuana use in the sample (i.e., younger age of first use associated with reduced orbital prefrontal cortex volume).”
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2829657
Jamma Network further states that “for example, there is evidence that cannabis use among adolescents is negatively associated with the thickness of the left prefrontal cortex (PFC) and right PFC and that the spatial pattern of cannabis-related cortical thinning is related to CB1 receptor density.” The amount of studies and results correlates that the use of marijuana has a negative association with the prefrontal cortex in adolescent brains.

Answer 7

The article from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation offers compelling evidence of cannabis's effects on adolescent brain development. Dr. Albaugh's team conducted a comprehensive longitudinal study published in JAMA Psychiatry, following 799 European adolescents aged 14 to 19 using MRI scans¹. Their research demonstrated that cannabis use correlates with accelerated prefrontal cortex thinning, particularly in regions dense with CB1 receptors, with the effects being dose-dependent. This finding aligns with established neurodevelopmental timelines, as the prefrontal cortex—critical for executive functioning—continues developing until approximately age 25. The National Institute on Drug Abuse supports these concerns, noting that THC's interaction with the endocannabinoid system during adolescence may disrupt normal neurodevelopment².

Additionally, research published in Molecular Psychiatry by Lichenstein et al. (2022) reinforces these findings, demonstrating that adolescent cannabis exposure is associated with altered cortical development that may impact cognitive functions like attention and impulse control³. The evidence suggests legitimate concerns about adolescent cannabis consumption, particularly as legalization expands across regions. However, researchers appropriately acknowledge that questions remain about the threshold of problematic use and long-term implications.

Sources:

1. Albaugh, M. D., et al. (2021). Association of Cannabis Use During Adolescence With Neurodevelopment. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(9), 1031-1040. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2782160
2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Cannabis (Marijuana) Research Report: How does marijuana use affect the brain? https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/how-does-marijuana-use-affect-brain
3. Lichenstein, S. D., et al. (2022). Associations between adolescent cannabis use frequency and adult brain structure: A prospective study of boys followed to adulthood. Molecular Psychiatry, 27(3), 1364-1373. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-021-01297-6

Answer 8

After looking into this statement, it is worthy to say that this claim is true! Although marijuana substance is widely known for its positive benefits of alleviating anxiety and creating calmness for the user. It also has a fair amount of negatives, one being the detrimental lack of prefrontal cortex development. The article used was created by an assistant professor at The University of Vermont and was just recently published in the year 2023. The article includes a study of brain scans from a group of 799 teens 5 years apart. To track to see if cannabis usage accelerated thinning of the prefrontal cortex. This study helps provide credibility for its readers. Delta-9 is a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants and typically affects thinking and behavior, which is why cognitive impairment is usually found from the usage of marijuana ( Massachusettes General Hospital ) Massachusetts General Hospital also did a randomized study of adults using brain scan technology revealing that a main component in cannabis affects the brain's prefrontal cortex. So although marijuana does have its attributes, it is sad to say that the claim is in fact true. 

Answer 9

​The claim that adolescent marijuana use can impede the development of the prefrontal cortex is supported by scientific research. A study published by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation analyzed brain scans of 799 European adolescents, comparing images taken at ages 14 and 19. The findings indicated that cannabis use during this period was associated with accelerated thinning of the prefrontal cortex, a region crucial for executive functions such as planning, decision-making, and impulse control. This accelerated thinning suggests that marijuana use during adolescence may disrupt the normal maturation of the cerebral cortex. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the impact of cannabis on adolescent brain development, highlighting potential long-term effects on cognitive functions. ​

https://bbrfoundation.org/blog/2023-leading-research-achievements

https://centerforbrainhealth.org/article/starting-age-of-marijuana-use-may-have-long-term-effects-on-brain-developme

Comments

I agree with you, and I liked how you used real research instead of just opinions. One thing I’d be curious about is whether the study talked about how often or how much cannabis the teens were using. Like, does once in a while use have the same effect as regular use? If you could find that, it would make your argument even better. But overall I completely agree with you.