When one is smoking, one question seems to come up in their head over and over again. Does smoking weed kill brain cells? While it is an age old question, the verdict is still out as to the exact answer. While it was recently believed that weed indeed did kill brain cells, some new studies show that this may not be the case as previously thought. Even though weed is the second most widely used recreational drug worldwide, there are certainly many reasons one might want to stay away. Some of these reasons include short term memory loss, loss of basic motor skills, heart palpitations, and extreme laziness. But apart from these side effects, there is little to fear from the plant. Marijuana grows in the ground naturally which is more than can be said for other harder drugs today.
Old Government Studies
First and foremost, it is important to note that many other recreational drugs have also been proven to cause brain damage. Even substances that are widely accepted like alcohol can cause such damage. There were a series of studies done on monkeys many years ago upon which lots of people base their ideas of weed killing brain cells. These studies have since been debunked and most governmentofficials now admit that smoking weed will not cause the death of brain cells. While this isn’t to say that weed has no negative side effects, it is quite a relief for many long time smokers of the plant. So if you have been smoking marijuana for a while, I hope you will be relieved to no that the plant does not directly kill brain cells.
The Real Effects of Marijuana
While smoking weed might not cause the death of brain cells as once was thought, there still are a number of negative side effects that users should be aware of. Marijuana is proven to hurt the individual’s short term memory as well as their motor skills. This can effect every day tasks with a loss of reaction time and impaired judgement. Weed can also cause extreme laziness particularly in strains called indicas. A couch lock effect plagues many of the users of this particular kind of marijuana and is one of the most argued but valid points that those against weedmake. But even when factoring all of these side effects in, marijuana is still widely considered to be one of the least harmful recreational drugs used today.
So while it may not be true that marijuana directly kills one’s brain cells, there are plenty of other reasons for people to stay away from the plant. With peer pressure and public opinion shifting, it is no wonder that so many people are trying the drug. In fact, it is estimated that 6,000 Americans try the drug for the first time each day. With numbers like this on the rise, it should be no time at all before we say more states using the medical marijuana programs and the eventual legalization of the drug entirely.While it is by no means a completely safe drug, marijuana is still much safer than other recreational drugs like alcohol.
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