[quote]Heavy cannabis use in the teenage years might not be directly responsible for lower intelligence, as previously believed, an overseas review of New Zealand research has found.
A study last year of more than 1000 New Zealanders concluded that the persistent use of cannabis before age 18 was linked to lasting harm of intelligence.
But Norwegian economist and researcher Dr Ole Rogeberg analysed those findings, and in research published today, said that the link between IQ loss and cannabis could be explained by socio-economic factors rather than an effect of the drug.
The original research found those who took up cannabis in adolescence and used it for years afterwards experienced an average decline in IQ of eight points when measured at age 13 and 38.
People who did not begin using cannabis until they were adults, with fully formed brains, did not show the same declines.
Otago University Professor Richie Poulton, who co-authored the original research, said Dr Rogeberg's findings were based on simulations but his came from data.
Dr Rogeberg found that low socio-economic children's IQ's were temporarily boosted by schooling, but when they left school and became adults their IQ went back down to its former low baseline, Professor Poulton said.
If many cannabis users were formerly low socio-economic children, the coincidence could create the impression that cannabis was responsible for their drop in IQ as an adult.
However, Professor Poulton said that when looking at children from middle-class homes, the findings of a decline in IQ in adolescent-onset cannabis users remained unaltered.
"Many of the adolescent cannabis users in the [New Zealand] study were from slightly lower socio-economic homes, though not all.
"However, their IQs were not boosted by schooling, because their IQ scores are the same from the time they began school to adolescence," he said.
Professor Annette Dobson, director at the centre for longitudinal lifecourse research at the University of Queensland, said the approaches between the two papers differed.
"The original paper is led by authors specialising in psychology and psychiatry. They do not consider variables such as socioeconomic status, and their statistical analyses rely heavily on strong and untested assumptions.
"In contrast, Dr Rogeberg, an economist...takes socio-economic status into account, and has a more thorough approach to the statistical methods he applies. He is also clearer about the uncertainty of his results, using simulations to explore the potential effects of different assumptions," she said.
She said the original study did not have a large sample size which limited the extent it could take into account possible confounding factors, such as socio-economic status.
She could not say whether or not the original results were correct but said she agreed with Dr Rogeberg that the methods of analysis were inadequate.
The original study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined individuals in the Dunedin Cohort study, which has followed 1037 people born in 1972-73 in Dunedin from birth.
About 5 per cent of the study group were considered cannabis-dependent, or used the drug more than once a week before age 18.
At age 38, all of the study participants were given a range of psychological tests to assess memory, processing speed, reasoning and visual processing. People who smoked cannabis persistently as teens scored significantly worse on most tests.[/quote]
Source: [url]http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10859185[/url]
but weed is bad and im better than everyone else for not smoking it!
don't blame weed.
blame [i]society[/i]
Maybe people that smoke weed just generally have a lower IQ.
Doesn't change the fact most if not all of the guys and gals I know that use cannabis are total dipshits anyways
[QUOTE=Da Big Man;39222382]Doesn't change the fact most if not all of the guys and gals I know that use cannabis are total dipshits anyways[/QUOTE]
You don't get out often do you?
Oh what a surprise, a DD user promoting pro cannabis topics. At least its a little different to the constant fucking pro gun spam we've been getting lately.
I've always believed the correlation is not weed is making you stupid, just lots of stupid people are partial to drugs due to the current drug culture and socioeconomic/legal factors.
[QUOTE=Vasili;39222423]Oh what a surprise, a DD user promoting pro cannabis topics. At least its a little different to the constant fucking pro gun spam we've been getting lately.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem[/url]
address the argument presented or don't post.
[QUOTE=Vasili;39222423]Oh what a surprise, a DD user promoting pro cannabis topics. At least its a little different to the constant fucking pro gun spam we've been getting lately.[/QUOTE]
Topics? pretty sure this is the only marijuana related article I have ever posted in here.
[QUOTE=Vasili;39222423]Oh what a surprise, a DD user promoting pro cannabis topics. At least its a little different to the constant fucking pro gun spam we've been getting lately.[/QUOTE]
You can go ahead and make that at least 2 DD users.
Still doesn't mean I'll ever use it, even if there are no bad long-term effects.
[QUOTE=Vasili;39222423]Oh what a surprise, a DD user promoting pro cannabis topics. At least its a little different to the constant fucking pro gun spam we've been getting lately.[/QUOTE]
Someone who's interested in something posts news related to it. Who would've thought.
Reminds me of some study my nuclear physics lecturer told us about in which the researchers made the claim that petrol fumes in the air harmed the brain and decreased intelligence based on the data that school children who lived nearby freeways tested noticeably worse than those who didn't.
Turns out the real issue was socioeconomic status and not petrol fumes. Houses near freeways usually cost less due to the noise pollution, so poorer families tend to inhabit these homes, and as it turns out there's historically a very large correlation between wealth and education explaining the lower test results in the children that lived by freeways.
[QUOTE=Cheat_God;39222486]Still doesn't mean I'll ever use it, even if there are no bad long-term effects.[/QUOTE]
Noone is asking you to lol
[QUOTE=PassTheBong;39222482]You can go ahead and make that at least 2 DD users.[/QUOTE]
someone who browses a drug forum wants to spread some news about drugs WHAT A FUCKING SURPRISE
Well, let's be honest here. IQ is a test taking skill, not a true marker of your intelligence. Chances are, if you smoke some pot every few weeks, nothing comes of it. If you blaze it literally everyday, then it will be to your detriment. Simple enough, but not scientific.
[QUOTE=Da Big Man;39222382]Doesn't change the fact most if not all of the guys and gals I know that use cannabis are total dipshits anyways[/QUOTE]
most teenagers i have met have been total dipshits anyways(myself included) regardless of drug use.
[editline]15th January 2013[/editline]
being a teenager is sorta ur time to be a dipshit.
[QUOTE=Da Big Man;39222382]Doesn't change the fact most if not all of the guys and gals I know that use cannabis are total dipshits anyways[/QUOTE]
Of course it doesn't change the fact that the people you know are total dipshits. That's your problem, not the chronic's, or maybe your area of residence.
[QUOTE=Da Big Man;39222382]Doesn't change the fact most if not all of the guys and gals I know that use cannabis are total dipshits anyways[/QUOTE]
Half of my friends smoke and they're all normal people who go to school and have jobs.
[QUOTE=Cheat_God;39222486]Still doesn't mean I'll ever use it, even if there are no bad long-term effects.[/QUOTE]
I don't understand people like this. How would you know whether or no it's a good or bad thing for you personally if you have never tried it and there are no negative long term effects?
[QUOTE=Da Big Man;39222382]Doesn't change the fact most if not all of the guys and gals I know that use cannabis are total dipshits anyways[/QUOTE]
Ooh anecdotal evidence.
Kids if you don't smoke weed you too can end up as keen and cheeky as this guy.
[QUOTE=yawmwen;39222511]most teenagers i have met have been total dipshits anyways(myself included) regardless of drug use.
[editline]15th January 2013[/editline]
being a teenager is sorta ur time to be a dipshit.[/QUOTE]
I wanna be forever [del]young[/del] dipshit.
[QUOTE=Cheat_God;39222486]Still doesn't mean I'll ever use it, even if there are no bad long-term effects.[/QUOTE]
cool thanks for sharing
[QUOTE=Cheat_God;39222486]Still doesn't mean I'll ever use it, even if there are no bad long-term effects.[/QUOTE]
that's your choice...
i personally believe that with all the mind altering substances out there it's a bit foolish not to experiment and live life to the fullest.
but i mean to each their own.
Also, didn't most of Facepunch come to the same conclusion as Dr. Rogeber when the original study was posted?
I at least remember having a similar suspicion.
[QUOTE=yawmwen;39222572]that's your choice...
i personally believe that with all the mind altering substances out there it's a bit foolish not to experiment and live life to the fullest.
but i mean to each their own.[/QUOTE]
Though some people have been there and done that and decided not to.
[url]http://www.unbelievable-truth.com/features/lit/fry.html[/url]
Two shits I couldn't give about people smoking weed as long as you don't go on a crusade to convince me to smoke it. More power to the people if we get educated about it anyway, and that's important.
smoke weed if you want, i don't care and shouldn't care
just don't go around trying to say it's some miracle drug that cures cancer and grants you immortality, no it's something people use to feel better and relieve pain
[QUOTE=AJisAwesome15;39222624]smoke weed if you want, i don't care and shouldn't care
just don't go around trying to saying it's some miracle drug that cures cancer and grants you immortality, no it's something people use to feel better and relieve pain[/QUOTE]
Don't forget that it's mind altering.
It's an experience that sometimes helps people think in novel ways.
[editline]14th January 2013[/editline]
I don't ever smoke to "relieve pain" or escape.
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